CRME
by Inugaya
Summary: (Starts 2 years before RWBY Season 1) A street orphan who excelled at stealing, a young boy who learned how to kill, and a girl who wished to be feared by the world. 3 individuals who changed upon meeting a young Knight from an order thought to be forgotten. This is their story of family and their path to greatness. (F.Y.I. CRME is said as Chrome)
1. An explanation is in order

**Hey, Kaage here, this is my first fanfiction so please understand. BUT! with that being said, don't hold ANY punches when reviewing. So enjoy!**

* * *

So before we start, there is something that needs explaining. In this story, Mana exists. You know, the stuff that makes magic. So I won't go into detail on how it fits in the world of RWBY too much right now, but the main part is that it is something that exists in everyone, but many have forgotten how to manifest and use it.

Secondly, Background info on my OC:

* * *

 **Name**

Rain Gleave

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 **Race**

Faunus (Wolf)

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 **Age**

14(Sanctum Arc)

16(Beacon Arc)

* * *

 **Blood type**

AB+

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 **Academy attending**

Sanctum Academy (Sanctum Arc)

Beacon Academy (Beacon Arc)

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 **Team member(s)**

Cinder Fall (Sanctum Academy, Beacon Academy)

Mercury Black (Sanctum Academy, Beacon Academy)

Emerald Sustrai (Sanctum Academy, Beacon Academy)

* * *

 **Semblance**

God's Eye (Allows Rain to accurately predict a person's actions through minor muscle movements. Due to constant training, he can currently predict a person's movements in the next 30 seconds. Eyes turn from bright Rose Red to Arctic Blue)

* * *

 **Weapon(s)**

Excalibur (A relic from the Grand Order's House of Knights. Rain can make Excalibur take on different forms. E.g. Longsword, Greatsword, Dual Blades, Dagger, etc.)

Gaia (A suit designed and built by Rain and his close colleague from the Grand Order, Arturia, as a gift for successfully entering Sanctum Academy. Takes the form of a simple black glove with white embroidery and a blue mana crystal. When deployed, It is a black hooded trenchcoat with white embroidery, woven from silk infused with Arturia's mana, with silver lightweight plate armor underneath, as well as boots, gauntlets and a helmet, which can be disabled, all with blue designs, all of which is made out of lightweight metal infused with Rain's mana and pure blue mana crystals. When Gaia is deployed, Rain's control of mana is at it's peak, making his spells and Sword Arts much more powerful. When paired with Excalibur, the Relic's power is increased twofold. Gaia also features a belt that allows Rain to channel Dust into his armor, enhancing his elemental spells)

* * *

 **Affiliation(s)**

Grand Order (House of Knights)

Sanctum Academy

Beacon Academy

* * *

 **Appearance**

Charcoal black hair with a streak of white and a slight tint of red a the ends of his hair. His face is effeminate, with some male features, and with his bright Rose Red eyes, give him a bishounen, baby-faced look. He stands at 1.79m and has tones muscles.

* * *

 **Usual outfit(s)**

The ordinary Beacon uniform with Gaia's compact form on his left hand and Excalibur's dagger form sheathed on his forearm (Uniform).

White cloak, black pants and shoes, with Gaia's compact form on his left hand and Excalibur's dagger form sheathed on his forearm (Casual).

Gaia fully deployed, with hood and helmet on, with Excalibur in it's varying forms Sheathed (Combat).

Gaia fully deployed, without helmet, with Excalibur's dagger form sheathed on his waist, hidden under his cloak (Normal)

* * *

 **Personality**

Kind and honest but is very blunt and is never afraid to voice his thoughts. He cannot stand bullies and likes to shoulder burdens on his own, which frustrates his friends. He is a very calm person, preferring to keep a level head in combat and observing his opponents moves. His kind and helpful persona makes him very popular and is often called 'Prince' by his friends and schoolmates.

* * *

 **Trivia**

1) Rain, ironically, hates rain. He prefers clear, starry nights.

2) Arturia is Rain's surrogate sister.

3)Rain loves to cook.

4) Rain's favorite dish is a Filet Mignon and favorite desert is Tiramisu Soufflé.

* * *

 **Hope this helps. As for mana, it will be further explained as the story progresses.**


	2. Prologue, Chpt 1:In the Pale Moonlight

Volume 1, Chapter 1: In the Pale Moonight

Three figures were running from rooftop to rooftop, stopping for nothing. Two young girls, one with a pale complexion, short Ashen-black hair and bright amber eyes and the other with medium-brown skin, dark-red eyes, and a light, Mint-green cut that was tied in a ponytail, along with a pale, well-built young man with gray eyes and Gray hair that was partially slicked back while unkempt at the front.

The young Ashen-black female was pissed. She had finally possessed all the pieces needed to obtain the unfathomable power of the Fall Maiden, to obtain the abilities that would strengthen herself tenfold. And in an instant, everything fell apart. All because of ONE Huntsman. That damned Qrow, always there to spoil her plans. She knew Ozpin was behind this. Qrow Branwen and Ozpin, two of the best Huntsmen in the entirety of Remnant. She knew she could not win against them, and accepted the fact that she had to cut her losses. But losing always left her feeling bitter, and this was no exception.

She looked at her pawns. Emerald Sustrai, the Mint-green lady, and Mercury Black, the Grey-haired individual. Despite fighting one of Vale's finest, they had proved useful. Mercury Black was nowhere near the deadly assassin his father was, but was still excellent in combat, and his mechanical legs proved more useful, being able to deal massive damage without feeling any pain. And Emerald's Semblance was useful in obtaining the power of the Fall Maiden. But they were pawns. And sooner or later, their usefulness would have reached their end.

They entered a deserted building. Finally taking a break.

"Ow… Are ALL the Maidens this strong?" Mercury winced as he rubbed his shoulders.

"What did you expect, nimrod?… But I'll admit, I didn't expect that. If that damned Huntsman hadn't gotten in our way..." Emerald scoffed.

"It makes no difference" Cinder said, deep in thought. She felt the powers of the Fall Maiden coursing through her. It felt… addicting. This much strength, and from only a PORTION of the Maiden's power. Imagine what would happen if she acquired ALL her powers. And the other Maidens… what about them… She would get their powers. ALL of their powers.

All they needed to do was to plan carefully and wait.

"...It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

The three teenagers turned to see the speaker. A young man, dressed in a trenchcoat with his hood up. As he turned to face them, Cinder could see underneath the man's helmet a pair of bright red eyes staring back at them, full of curiosity. Was he a Huntsman? Upon closer inspection, she could see a set of plate armor underneath his coat. How'd he get there? She would've sensed him if he got close to them. Cinder couldn't put her finger on it, but something about him seemed off... In any case, he was trouble. She had to dispose of him, fast.

"And who are you, young huntsman?" Cinder asked, voice full of mockery. The three of them readied their weapons, preparing to strike. Mercury struck first, dashing forward for a dive kick. The masked adversary simply sidestepped, dodging Mercury's strike, and kicked his back, sending him flying into a pile of bricks and rendering him unconscious.

"...I'm actually a huntsman-in-training. But forget about me. What's a girl like you doing here?" the boy said monotonously. He dashed forward, charging at Cinder, only to be intercepted by Emerald.

The two broke apart, staring at each other, daring the other to move. Emerald struck first, circling around her opponent while emptying magazine after magazine from her SMGs, trying to hit the man. the masked opponent was dancing around, doing flips, rolls and other movements to dodge the volley of lead projectiles that were aimed at him. This continued for some time until Emerald ran out of bullets. She switched to her sickles and began engaging in close-combat.

And so the dance resumed. Swing, dodge, counter, parry. No matter how fast Emerald struck, the man would always avoid the blow. Eventually, she made a mistake, going for an outward cross-cut, leaving her wide open. The man closed the gap, struck her with his palm, and said...

"Volt".

Emerald was struck with lightning coursing through her body, and went limp.

Cinder's eyes widened. She had never seen that. Did he use dust? No, there would have been a glyph.

"What are you?" She asked. She got into her combat stance, weapons ready.

"... I'm a completely normal person. Just a young Huntsman roaming at night..." he said, looking at the moon "...You know, I kinda like the sky like this. A thousand stars staring down at us in the pale moonlight. A shame we're fighting right now".

Both combatants looked at each other. Cinder decided to test her new powers. Sheathing her weapons, she focused inwards, trying to unleash it. She could feel the flames within her bursting to come out. She opened her eyes, feeling her power at the tips of her fingers.

She started first, throwing flames at the masked Huntsman, who dodged with ease. Feeling more confident in her newfound power, she started summoning pillars of flames, cornering her opponent before hurling the biggest fireball she could conjure. She smirked. She won.

Or so she thought.

The masked man sliced the ball of flames in half. Now in his hands was a Greatsword. The tides had now turned. As he stood up straight, he raised the sword above his head with both hands, and with the sword being enveloped in a holy light, he shouted.

"Excalibur!"

And brought the sword down in one mighty swing.

The impact of this attack was powerful. Hitting Cinder at full force, she fell to the ground, unable to move.

And she lost consciousness.

* * *

 **HEY! This is my very first ACTUAL chapter in my very first Fanfiction. If you have any issues, please voice it out. Don't hold ANY punches when reviewing. I'm always open to criticism. Until the next chapter!** **~Kaage**


	3. Prologue, Chpt 2: The Grand Order

**~Kaage**

 **YAY! Chapter 2! Never thought I'd be doing this. Thanks to StormDragonSlayerand** **Groszekace** **for the review. I'll try my best to lengthen the chapters!**

* * *

Prologue, Chapter 2: The Grand Order

Cinder awoke to an unfamiliar room. It was large. VERY large. She was lying on something soft. A bed? How'd she end up here? She got up, her mind dazed and her senses scrambled. All she remembered was being enveloped in a bright light and then blacking out. Feeling sober, she got on her feet.

She wasn't in her own clothes. No, she was, instead, in hospital robes. Was this a hospital? That would explain the large space. The high ceilings that resembled a cathedral reminded her of the great hallways of castles in the stories she had read.

"So firstly... Get out of here" she said to herself. She looked around for anything to fight with. Looking at the small lamp stand, she found a few syringes. She could use them as throwing knives.

Then she heard something. The pitter-patter of small feet running around. she peeked through the curtains to see children running about hiding in various places.

"Children! don't play here. You'll disturb the patients. Play in the courtyard instead"

Cinder turned to see a young blonde woman, around her own age, walking in and searching for the children. Target number one. Take her out and move along. As she got ready to attack, she saw the blonde do something unbelievable.

"Alright, you leave me with no choice"

 _"Zwei, Arbos, Deti"_

And in an instant, the children were surrounded in a blue light and being carried towards the young blonde.

"Hey! You used magic!" One of the children yelled.

"Well don't play in the infirmary. You'll wake the- Oh"

The blonde seemed to notice Cinder as she was walking towards her. It was now or never. She rushed forward, throwing three sryinges towards the blond and brandishing another makeshift weapon, leapt towards her. But all it took was a simple gesture of her hand and Cinder was suspended mid-air, constrained.

"Hello! My name is Arturia Pendragon. You've been asleep for a few days, so you may feel a little groggy. You're currently in the infirmary of the House of Knights" The young blonde said, flashing a genuinely sweet smile towards Cinder, sending a chill up her spine. After Cinder's attempt to kill her, she was still smiling and talking like they were friends. She was either too dense or too confident in her abilities. She continued struggling, but eventually, she felt all the energy leave her body.

"… would love to see you awake. He was worried he put you in a coma"

"What?" Cinder didn't catch what Arturia was saying. Who was "he"?

"Oh, I was talking about Rain. He's been visiting you since you got here last week. He was worried you got into a coma" Arturia said, putting her down.

"Don't worry, I just placed a constraining seal on you. Don't worry about trying to hurt me, or anyone else, ok?" Arturia said, handing Cinder some undergarments and clothes to change into.

As soon as she finished dressing, Cinder spun around and took one of the children hostage, holding a syringe against the child's neck, just against his Adam's Apple.

"Miss Arturia, what's she doing?" the child asked, confused about Cinder's actions.

"Nothing much Jace, she's just taking you hostage. Just relax, ok?" Arturia said, keeping her smile on.

"Don't you care what happens to this child?" Cinder asked, her voice loud and threatening. She proceeded to press the syringe against the child's neck, but as soon as the very tip of the touched skin, Cinder's body was overwhelmed with a numbing feel.

"See! Told you didn't have to worry about hurting anyone! Now let's go meet Rain" Arturia beamed, helping her up and letting Cinder lean on her.

"Oh, and one more thing..." Arturia said, smiling at her.

"Welcome to the Grand Order"

* * *

 _ **Time skip**_

Cinder and Arturia were walking through the halls of the House of Knights. Well, 'House' was an understatement. This place was a CASTLE! The large, ornate hallways and the grand-looking doors, and from the view she saw from the window, this 'House' was HUGE. On the way, Arturia started talking about Rain.

So... Rain was a 14 year-old Wolf Faunus who was training to be a Huntsman in Sanctum Academy. Rain Gleave… She couldn't remember any Huntsman with that surname, so his family was probably full of small-time hunters. She would've thought the same of Rain if she didn't see him fight.

It was almost unbelievable. One Wolf Faunus against five other opponents in a middle of a courtyard. One sword against five. And the one sword was winning. And it was… glowing?

She had never seen it before. She was sure there was no dust involved. Why? Because they were WOODEN swords. Wooden swords that apparently could cut Cinder-block, from what she saw from the other trainees. But back to the battle at hand. Rain was seamlessly dodging and parrying all the hits front, back and side. It was as if he could see everything at all times, His semblance?

"Hey Rain! Stop playing around with us and fight like a man!"

"...whatever you say" Rain said with an innocently bashful smile.

…whoever said that had forsaken themselves.

Rain back-flipped away from his opponents and got low into a battle stance, his wooden training sword glowing and his face now calm and neutral.

"Forever Fall, Mirage"

In an instant, he was in their faces, slashing. His one sword moving faster than Cinder could see. It almost as if he used two blades instead of one. With each swing, stab and cut, the five swordsmen got pushed back. And with the final swing, all five of them flew to the walls, creating human-shaped craters. And with that, he was done.

"Hey Rain! She's awake!" Arturia shouted, taking Cinder out of her trance.

"Oh, hey Art! I'm com- Oh" Rain said, finally noticing Cinder. He immediately flashed an apologetic smile. The first thing she noticed were his eyes, which changed from Arctic Blue to Rose Red. Then was his hair, which was mostly Ebony Black, with a streak of Pearl White and Garnet Red at the tips of the hair strands, and on his head were two wolf ears with the same Ebony Black shade.

"Sorry about knocking you out. I kinda panicked when you trapped me with the fire pillars" Rain said.

"How... did I get here?" Cinder wheezed, still numb from the activation on the constraining seal.

"I carried you here with the help of a portal."

"Why did you bring me here? If you want to interrogate, I won't spill" Cinder said, regaining her strength and now standing on her own feet.

"Oh, don't worry, the mages took all the info from you guys while you were all asleep" Rain said, waving it off. And to this Cinder tried to hit him with a stray wooden sword, only to have it broken in two with Rain's own sword swing. When he looked at her, she could've sworn she saw some sort of killing intent in his eyes before it turned cheery and normal.

"Oh, and you're friends are ok, by the way" Rain said with a reassuring smile.

"Friends?" Cinder asked, genuinely confused.

"You know, Mercury and Emerald? Gray and Mint-green hair? Ring a bell?" Rain asked.

"They're not my-"

Right on cue, Emerald appeared, panicking.

"Rain, Arturia, Cinder's gone- Oh, hey Cinder!" Emerald said, relieved.

Emerald was wearing a simple black and white dress that had complemented her Mint-green hair which had small braids at the side, tucked behind her ears. But where was Mercury?

"You must be wondering where Mercury is. Come on, I'll show you where he is" Rain said, walking past a doorway.

"Where are we going?" Cinder asked as they walked through the hallways.

"The Children's Dorm"

As they approached the dorm, Cinder could hear cheers coming from the dorm's common room. And upon entering the common room, she found out why.

She saw Mercury dancing.

Mercury was dancing.

Mercury.

Dancing.

That must be how he trains. Well, we learn something new everyday.

"Hey Cinder! Nice to have you join us" Mercury said, giving a sly smirk.

Mercury was wearing a gray t-shirt and jogger pants of the same color. And honestly, he wasn't bad looking.

"So… I assume you guys would want an explanation about where you are, and what is happening" Rain said, motioning towards a small room

* * *

 **And now… The lay of the land**

"So, you guys are currently in the House of Knights. We're part of an organization called the 'Grand Order', led by the Master's Council. There are different ranks: Apprentice, Enforcer, and King, as well as different Vocations: Archer, Caster, Saber, Assassin, Shielder, Ruler, Rider, Assassin and Lancer. All members of the Grand Order practice mana usage… And I'm sure you're wondering what mana is" Rain said, to which the three listeners nodded their heads. "Ok, so can you guys tell me what Aura is first?" Rain asked, to which Cinder answered.

"Aura is the manifestation of one's soul, and can be used for a wide range of abilities. The specific abilities and their strengths differ from individual to individual and are dependent on a number of factors, such as experience, training, and innate skill"

Rain smiled, accepting the answer."So, while Aura is about the soul, Mana is about the mind. Mana can be channeled into our bodies to make spells or into our weapons for 'Sword Arts'. Mana is also split into different elements, also known as aspects: Fira, Aqua, Spark, Aero, Holy and Dark. Think of Mana as white light in this aspect. White light can also be split into different colored lights. Those in the Caster Vocation are efficient in using all aspects of Mana. I myself use Fira, Aero, Spark and Holy. Any questions?"

All of them shook their heads, and Rain continued."So, on to my final point: Why magic is no longer used... Once, magic was common all around Remnant. It was practiced not only by Hunters, who used it in tandem with their Aura. But also by doctors who used it to heal, mechanics who used it to repair and other professions. And the Grand Order was regulating it's usage, upholding laws and such. It was going fine until man discovered dust. With dust, it was easier to use elemental attacks, work on machines, and other things. Soon, most people stopped practicing magic and forgot about Mana. Fearing the practice of mana would be lost forever, they made the World Tree, to house all the knowledge on Mana and its uses." Rain gestured towards the huge tree just that rested in the middle of the Master's Council building, or as Cinder calls it 'castle'. It was huge tree with gold, pink and green leaves. "Only those with Mana manifested within them at birth are able to use Magic, and it's usually common among families that practice Mana and Magic. So… you guys are out of luck. We can teach you how to use Dust for magic, though."

"And that's the story of the Grand Order. Now you guys can go explore or get some sleep, but you should do the latter. We've got classes at Sanctum Academy tomorrow. And you guys don't wanna be late"

"Wait, Sanctum Academy? The one in Mistral? I thought we were in Vale. And why are we attending. We ARE criminals, you know" Cinder asked.

"Nope. Firstly, we're actually in Mistral. See the bit that looks like a Dragon's head? That's where we are" Rain said, taking out a map and pointing at the far north of Mistral. "This campus is protected by a protective dome that also works as camouflage. The first Masters created it to protect the World Tree and can only be accessed using magic. Or those who have these crystals" Rain said, holding a crystal out. It was black, with gold, blue and silver metals forming a sleeve at the top and bottom of the crystal. "It's a Port-Crystal. These will act as passports to enter this realm, as well as beacons and navigators if you wanna get somewhere. Just say where you wanna go, and the crystal will point the way" and Arturia continued. "And as for the second point, yes, we're aware you stole some of the Fall Maiden's powers AND almost killed Rain. But I got friends in high places and am willing to forgive you, if you mend your ways"

"But what about-"

"Salem. Don't worry, she won't ever touch you. Not since you joined us" Rain said, full of spite.

"Wait, join you?" Cinder asked.

"Yep. As a representative of the Grand Order and apprentice of the King of Casters, I am inviting you to join the Grand Order. Should you wish to accept, The three of you will select a Vocation to study. That is, if you choose to accept" Arturia said, leaving the three speechless.

"Art's a Caster and I'm a Saber. We'll tell you about the other Vocations when you join" Rain said, giving a reassuring smile.

"I'll let you guys think"

And with that, Rain and Arturia walked out.

* * *

The three individuals were now in a heated discussion, still thinking about Rain's proposal. Well Mostly Emerald and Cinder. Mercury was just minding his own business.

"We can't turn our backs on Salem. She promised power, a lot of it. And if we desert her, she is sure to kill us" Cinder said.

"But you heard what Rain said. The Grand Order can protect us, make us stronger. If we just-"

"That Rain is a child. He surely doesn't know what Salem is capable of"

"But you saw him fight us. He took us on without breaking a sweat. He must be strong. Plus, he said he can erase our tracks, right? Think about it. It means a whole new life for us" Emerald argued. She was not one to disobey Cinder. But now, of all times, she had to break her habit. Not accepting this opportunity was one order she could not follow.

Frustrated, they looked to Mercury for a deciding vote. "Hey, don't look at me. I don't really care what happens. As long as it's fun"

With a sigh, Emerald continued. "Cinder, I know you want power. I don't blame you. Power is intoxicating and can be good. But only if we use it right. And I think Rain and everyone here can help teach us that. And you may be afraid of Salem, but from what I've seen, the Grand Order can protect us, as well as help us grow stronger… I'm sorry Cinder. But in the past few days I've been here, I've seen what life can be if we did things right. So I don't know about you, but I want out. From Salem's plans, From everything. I want to be good, for once"

Cinder was silenced by what Emerald had said. "But..."

"Emerald's right"

The statement took them by surprise. They turned to see Arturia, leaning against the door. "Rain may be dense, bunt, and stubborn. But he never lets people down. And he really is willing to help you guys. Especially against Salem" the young blonde said. "Salem… did something to him. Something that cannot be recovered or forgotten or healed. And he's afraid Salem will hurt you too. He really cares about you guys, despite the short time you've been together. Because when he looks at you guys, he sees himself, young and wounded. And for that, he's willing to risk his life to get you out of Salem's grasps. If you don't trust me, trust him. So please, consider this offer"

And with that, Arturia left.

The three stood in silence, before Mercury broke it. "So what now, boss?"

With a sigh, Cinder finalized her decision. "We've got no choice..."

* * *

The trio found Arturia inn the library, reading a book written in an odd language. However focused she was, she sensed their presence and looked up smiling.

"Oh, hello! please, sit down." she said, smiling.

"So… You guys decided yet?"

"Yes... We'll join your organization, Ms. Pendragon"

"Thank you! And please, call me Arturia. Rain will help settle you in. And welcome to the Grand Order" The young blonde said, pulling out a case of Port-Crystals. "Please, take any one of them!"

There were countless number of choices, from the brightest shade of red to the deepest shade of blue. Emerald was about to go for the pale gray crystal when Mercury swooped it from her. "Sorry Emerald, but grey's more of MY color" he smirked, tossing her a green Port-Crystal. But while the two accomplices were bickering, Cinder was deep in thought. She still didn't trust them. And this act of kindness only furthered her suspicion. She picked up an Arctic blue Port-Crystal, it reminded her of Rain's eyes when he was fighting, cold and calm, without a shred of doubt in every move he made, it carried it's own danger. She put it down and took a Wine Red Port-Crystal.

"Now I'll go and get Rain. Stay put, okay?" Arturia said, standing up and leaving. She then took out her scroll, and dialed a number.

"Hello Mr. Ozpin. I'm Arturia Pendragon, we spoke last week. I have something to discuss with you. You see..."

* * *

 **Hey, Kaage here.**

 **SO! Chapter 2 is out. Kinda like how this chapter played out. But I'll see the reviews. Also, we hit more than 3,207 words! Yay me!**

 **So I wanted to explain more about the suit I wanted to give Cinder. You see, the Infiltration outfits and her normal red dress are mad of Dust-Infused fabric, which allows her to do dust spells. But since I wanted Cinder's normal outfit to be the one she wore in the Vytal Festival Tournament, I needed her suit to deploy the same way Rain's Gaia does, but by channeling a small portion of her aura into a dust crystal on her pauldron, deploying the suit. This is so she can keep her Dust spell fighting style. But while her red dress is her signature, using the infiltration suit would make more sense, hence why I cannot decide. Sorry to Groszekace for the misunderstanding and hope this chapter can help make it up to you.**

 **So one more prologue chapter until this story joins the RWBY timeline. Until next time!**

 **~Kaage**


	4. Prologue, Chpt 3: We are Family

**Yahallo! This is the final prologue! Sorry for the wait! I had to edit the previous chapter due to a few story errors. Thanks to Groszekace for helping me edit the previous chapter. Also check out 'RWBY: Team ChRoME', written by Groszekace as well as 'RWBY: Within Enlightened Hearts'! See ya!**

 **~Kaage**

* * *

Prologue, Chapter 3: We are Family

Emerald awoke to an unexpected scene: Cinder sleeping on her left and Mercury on her right, with Rain sleeping on the floor. Racking her brain, she then remembered last night's events:

" _So you three are gonna sleep on that bed" Rain said, pointing towards the ONLY bed in the room._

" _Isn't that YOUR bed? Why should WE sleep on it?" Emerald asked, suspicious._

" _I'm pretty sure you three sleep together. Kinda seems like what you'd do. You know, being criminals and being on the run and all."_

 _The three deadpanned at this statement._

" _No. We can sleep on the floor. You take the bed" Emerald said, pushing him towards the bed, convincing herself that the young wolf Faunus had a hidden agenda_

" _But you're guest's so-"_

" _No, we'll be fine" Emerald insisted. But Rain stood his ground and turned to them._

" _Emerald. Please catch Mercury"_

" _Wait, wha-"_

" _Ignavio"_

 _And with that, Mercury collapsed, falling asleep in Emerald's arm while Cinder did the same in Rain's._

" _What did you do!?" Emerald shouted._

" _Relax, it's just a simple sleep spell. They'll be up by about… six in the morning. And with that..." Rain said, looming over the poor Mint-green haired girl and cornering her._

" _Oh no you don't..."_

 _And with a simple smile, he said:_

" _Ignavio"_

Emerald shuddered at the memory. And she once thought Rain was a naive person.

Come to think of it, they didn't even know Rain that well. Other than the fact that he was powerful and from last night's incident, stubborn, not much was known. Emerald still remembered how she met him when she woke up…

 _Her eyes shot open as she heard shouting. She attempted to leap of the bed out of reflex but winced when she felt a pain on her chest. She looked to see a burn mark, small enough to go unnoticed unless someone paid close attention. "Must be from that boy we fought" Emerald grumbled as she examined her surroundings. Tall ceilings held up by grand pillars and engravings, one would think they were in a fairy-tale. If not for the hospital robes and drip tubes. She pulled the needles out and started walking slowly. Pulling the curtains open, she found Mercury on the bed opposite her and Cinder on the one beside her. She then heard voices at a distance, which fueled her curiosity. As she approached the source, what she saw puzzled her: A human girl was talking to a **Faunus** man. Most would run and hide. But from what she saw, the two were close. Then she heard more movement from outside, approaching them. She slipped behind the curtains to see Cinder, unconscious. She swore, she was gonna find that man._

" _Hey big bro,when do you think those guys you knocked out will wake up?"_

" _I… don't really know. I hit the first two pretty hard, AND accidentally used Excalibur on the last one. So… a week, maybe?" wait, that voice…_

" _Rain, where are you? Master Lancelot's looking for you. He needs you to train the new Saber recruits" So… his name's Rain" Emerald opened the curtains slightly. She could now see half his face. Rose Red eyes and Ebony Black hair with a streak of Pearl White, with Garnet Red at the tips of his hair._

" _Be there in a second Arturia... Ok Luvia, I gotta go, ok?"_

" _Aww… Do you really have to? I still wanna talk"_

" _Sorry Luvia. But I'll be back, ok?"_

" _Alright… But give me a goodbye hug first!"_

 _And with a hug, the unsuspecting Rain left. Emerald followed closely, using her Semblance to sneak by the children._

 _Rain roamed the halls, with Emerald trailing behind him, seemingly unnoticed. However, when they turned the corner, Rain reappeared behind Emerald, holding her at knife-point._

" _You're not very perceptive, aren't you? I could hear your footsteps loud and clear"_

" _But… My semblance-"_

" _Is no use right now. Follow me" and with that he continued walking, with Emerald following him._

" _Name's Rain. You?"_

"… _Emerald Sustrai" She said, still wary of the boy._

" _Where are we going?" Emerald asked, keeping her distance from the young Faunus._

" _To Master Lancelot"_

 _As they walked onto the courtyard, they met with a middle-aged man, with blonde hair and a scar under his left eye._

" _Rain! Where were you?"_

" _I was with Luvia… again"_

"… _Magic with your sister?"_

" _Yep"_

 _Then Rain remembered Emerald. "Oh, Master Lancelot. This is Emerald Sustrai. She's-"_

" _The one you fought. Well it's nice to see you awake"_

" _Thank you, Sir Lancelot"_

" _Please, just Master Lancelot. 'Sir' makes me sound old" The knight said with a smile._

" _Says the 730 year-old man"_

" _Well Rain, maybe you want Arthuria to help you train the newbies?"_

" _Well… You'd be killing the recruits, not me"_

"… _You're a hundred years too smart from your own good, you know that?"_

 _Smiling, Rain said. "Yes, I know"_

" _Anyways, What are you gonna do with her?"_

" _Wait till the other two wake up, you'll see" Rain said with a knowing smirk…_

She could not believe this was what he had in mind. 1 week ago, the three of them were criminals. Now they had a chance to fight as a Huntsman.

"Guys, wake up. We gotta go to Sanctum"

… After they learn HOW to fight as a Huntsman.

* * *

The four of them arrived at the front of Sanctum Academy. The large towers and castle-like structure made Emerald and Mercury's jaw drop.

The three of them wandered into the building, following Rain. Soon, the schools PA system rang.

 **May Mr. Rain Gleave, Ms. Cinder Fall, Ms. Emerald Sustrai, and Mr. Mercury Black please report to Principle Chrome's office. Thank you.**

"… Well, that was fast. Let's go"

The three of them began jogging towards the tallest tower. As they ran into a Red-Headed Amazonian.

"Hey Pyrrha. Can you tell Mr. Redwood I'll be a little late? If you see him, of course"

"Oh, Hello Rain! Sure. Who are they?" Pyrrha asked, pointing at the trio behind him.

"Oh, they're new students. Pyrrha, meet Cinder, Emerald and Mercury. Guys, this is Prryha Nikos. Also known as the 'Invincible Girl'" Rain said, earning a slight blush from Prryha.

"You know I'm not invincible. You of all people should know that" Prryha said, looking down and blushing slightly. "Are you competing in the tournament? You didn't attend last year"

"You bet Pyrrha. No holds barred?"

"No holds barred. Goodbye Rain" Pyrrha said, walking away.

"See ya Pyrrha. Alright guys, let's go" Rain said, walking towards the Principal's Office.

* * *

"So… Mr. Rain" Principal Chrome said, staring at Rain. An awkward and tense silence filled the room.

"Hello Mr. Chrome… So you wanted to see us?"

"Yes… What kind of student thinks its ok to let those outside to become a Huntsman without telling the relevant authorities?"

"Me, of course" Rain said, straight-faced and neutral, only angering the Principal further.

"… One of these days, you are going to get killed"

"The same can be said for everyone else"

"… You may leave"

"Thank you Principal Chrome. Let's go guys"

As the four of them walked out, the three accomplices could hear the Principal cursing under his breath.

* * *

They've been through half the day's events, and now they finally got to lunch.

"So Rain, how's the food here? I need to eat" Mercury said, hands behind his head.

"Well… It's nice. But I bring my own food. Here's a tip: Never ask Arturia to cook. She burnt my kitchen when she tried to boil water" Rain said, his lunch box in hand.

When they got to the cafeteria, the first thing Mercury noticed was the food. It was laid out like a buffet.

Immediately he walked to the buffet and began picking his food. In the end, he ended up with a plate filled with meat, meat, and meat. As Emerald, Cinder and Rain got to their seats, Emerald was disgusted at the sight of Mercury's plate.

"Is there anything about you that isn't disgusting?"

"It's part of my charm" Mercury answered, smirking.

"Hey, has anyone seen Rain?" Cinder asked, looking around. Near them, a large group of girls had congregated around someone.

"Looks like the Prince's at it again"

"Goddamn wolf Faunus. How does he do it?"

"Prince? Wolf Faunus?" Emerald asked. _Please don't tell me…_

When they got close, what they saw surprised them: Rain, a WOLF FAUNUS, was surrounded by girls, both Human and Faunus. This was something else.

"Please help me make a weapon Rain!"

"Could you help me train?"

"Could you join my team for our research project?"

And among the shouts and screams was the voice of Rain trying to calm them down. "Girls, please calm down. One at a time, please."

It was a funny sight. Rain, the calm and composed magical Swordsman, was being assaulted by an army of fan-girls.

"Should we help him?" Emerald asked, skeptical. The two girls looked at Mercury who raised his hands. "Give me a target, and I'll kill them. Send me an army of girls, and I'll run"

"I got this" a voice from behind them said. The trio turned to see Prryha, Irritated. Raising her hand, she focused her Semblance, carrying all the girls by their metallic school badge pinned on their shirt collars and seating them on the benches. She then took Rain by the sleeve and dragged him out of the cafeteria, with Cinder and Emerald following her, the latter dragging Mercury who was still holding his plate, eating.

* * *

"Honestly Rain… You know what happens when you go into the cafeteria" Prryha said, shaking her head. They were currently in the school garden, eating their lunch.

"I forgot about that when I was showing the new students the school. And besides, if they need my help, why shouldn't I help them?" Rain said, eating his food.

"So, what are you going to make?"

"Huh?"

"Your weapon. You're going to make one today. You must have decided on a design, right?" Prryha said as she packed her lunch box.

"Yes, I actually have. A simple 4-form mecha-shift weapon. Sword, War Scythe, Rifle and a compound form for ease of access. I even made a name for it"

"Really? what's the name?" Prryha said, catching the other three's attention. They leaned in as Rain said the name.

"Caliburn"

* * *

It had been 4 months since the criminal trio joined the Grand Order. If one saw them now, it would be near impossible to tell they had stolen a Maiden's powers.

Mercury was now an Assassin class, Emerald an Archer, and Cinder a Caster. They also looked different.

Gone was Emerald's bowl cut, now with a straight fringe and bangs, as well as two long locks on each side, in the back. her attire consisted of an intricate white top and a cropped olive-colored undershirt, on the back of which is her personal emblem which is in the shape of a cut gem, along with white pants and brown chaps that end at her calves and an overlong belt, twice-wrapped, where she keeps her weapons as well as a single pouch.

Cinder now had longer hair and wears gray pants and boots; a beige leather, sleeveless jacket with light-beige details; brown gloves, a sarashi tied around her chest and another around her hips, and a pauldron on her left shoulder, with a Red Gem embedded on it. She also wears a belt around her waist, which has multiple brown pouches attached to it. On her back is a black tattoo of what appears to be a pair of high heel shoes placed sole to sole, forming a heart shape inside.

Mercury did not change much, with only his outfit being different. He now wears a slate gray and black two-tone partial-zip jacket, that covers his upper body, along with a single notched belt with what appears to be a sash or bandana draped over it. Protecting his arms are sets of rerebraces and vambraces.

Due to their 'unique situation', they, along with Rain, Arturia and a few children, moved to a new building. It was smaller than the grand castles the others lived in, but it was nonetheless huge. 6 stories tall, complete with training facilities and a reasonably large garden at the back.

They were now comfortable with their new lives. And more importantly, the people of the Grand Order were now used to them. Especially the children. To them, Emerald was known as the big sister. The children loved her, and Mint-green girl loved them. She told them stories, taught them nifty skills like origami and solved issues between the children. She could also be scary if they put themselves in danger.

Mercury was the "cool uncle". He showed them how to break-dance, played video games and showed them how to prank. HARD. Because of that, Emerald and Mercury were always at each others throats.

Cinder was… the aunt. She would make sure the kids behaved, helped with the cooking and along with Emerald and Mercury, would bring the children into the city for sightseeing or to buy certain things. She was usually training, which meant that she spent less time with the children than the others.

Rain was the father figure. It also helped that he was in the Grand Order from a young age, and that meant that he knew the children from when they were born. He never got angry, always keeping a level head and reprimanding the children gently and teaching them values. He also trained them to fight with swords as well as basic spells. The trio also found out that Rain was a huge gamer, as well as an amazing chef. He made most of the meals, with Cinder's help.

And Arturia was the mother figure. She was similar to Rain in many ways. Patient, kind, yet firm. She was in the Order much earlier than Rain, being born into it. She took care of the children when Rain, Emerald, Mercury and Cinder were in Signal Academy. Of course, Rain would usually wake up eariler to cook breakfast and lunch so that Arturia could just heat it and serve, as she could not cook for the life of her.

The sun was now setting and the five teenagers stood at the balcony.

"It's beautiful" Arturia said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"You know… it's kind of unbelievable, you know? A few months ago, I was kicking your buts in an abandoned building. And now, we're living together in the same house" Rain said, sitting on the railing.

"Yeah… I never thought I'd be doing this. Working with you guys… thanks Rain" Emerald said, staring into the sunset.

"For what?"

"For helping us"

"Guys, you're forgetting" Rain said, putting his arms around his 4 friends and flashing a big smile. "We're family!"

"Yes… I guess we are family" Cinder said, smiling a little.

The 5 teens spent the rest of the time sharing good memories as they watched the sun set.

* * *

 **FINALLY! The final piece of the prologue is done! Big thanks to Groszekace for giving me tips for my stories and the various amendments I made for the previous chapter.**

 **So from here onwards, the story will follow the canon storyline and will follow the storyline(mostly, anyway).**

 **So live long, love life and have fun!**

 **~Kaage**


	5. V 1, Chpt 1: Ruby Rose

**Yahallo! Kaage here with another chapter of Wolf Faunus goodness! This chapter marks the official tie-in to the cannon storyline! Now, there will be a few chapters not cannon to the plot and a few extra scenes added to the story, but don't worry, this follows the RWBY story, with a few altercations. So see you at the end!**

 **~Kaage**

* * *

 _Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past._

 _Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness, creatures of destruction: the creatures of Grimm, set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void._

 _However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust"._

 _Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life._

 _But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return._

 _So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength._

 _But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul…_

* * *

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go pick up some dust at Vale. You need anything?" A young Wolf Faunus shouted from the entrance, putting on his shoes.

"Oh, nice timing Rain! Could you pick up some cheese and bread? we're running low" A tanned, mint-green haired girl called out from the living room.

"Sure thing Em. Anything else?" Rain asked. Only to be met with silence.

"Right then..." Rain said, holding out a crystal. "Teleport, Vale!"

And after being enveloped in a bright light, he disappeared.

* * *

Rain walked through the back alleys, making his way onto the main streets of Vale. He enjoyed walking around Vale at night, taking in the serene atmosphere and the night life. Pulling his hood over his head, he started walking the streets. He spotted a grocery store and, remembering Emerald's request, went to buy food supplies first.

"Pretty big family, huh?" the cashier said, looking at my groceries. 7 loaves of wholemeal bread and 10 packets of sliced cheese. "Yep. REALLY big family" I said, flashing a smile.

After paying for the groceries and picking them up, he walked out of the store, only to bump into a girl.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" the girl said. She had long white hair is pulled back in an off-center ponytail, at the base of which is a small tiara that resembles icicles. She has a pale complexion and wide, ice blue eyes and wore a pure white dress with black edging and two columns of four black buttons on the abdomen, with a pale blue snowflake emblem on the back. She was also wearing thigh-high, white high-heel boots with frilly black thigh-high stockings that come up slightly above the top of her boots. She would have looked more beautiful if not for that scowl on her face.

"Oh, sorry about that. Didn't see you" he said, which was true. He was a full head taller than the girl, so he literally overlooked her. He put his groceries down on the floor before he went to get her up. It was then when his hood fell off, revealing two wolf ears. Her eyes widened as she stood up.

"Oh, yes. I'm a Faunus. A Wolf Faunus, to be exact" Rain said, smiling before picking up his groceries, pulling up his hood, and walking away. "Sorry for bumping into you!" he said, walking in search of a Dust store.

"That was him..."

* * *

Rain was scanning his surroundings, looking for a Dust shop. He eventually found a Dust shop. "From Dust Till Dawn… Huh".

He entered the store and immediately went to the Dust Vials, filling various canisters with different types of Dust. He then placed the canisters on the counter. "Be back in a sec, I need to grab some stuff" he said, walking towards the magazine stands.

He began looking for magazines, picking the ones he liked as well as the ones his 'siblings' loved to read, before spotting a 'Weapons Weekly' magazine with a VERY interesting article. He then picked it up began reading it, noticing a short child in a red hood beside him, reading the same thing. Soon, he heard shouts from the entrance, which he winced at due to his increased hearing.

"Goddamn ruffians… Keep it down already" he grumbled, putting on his headphones and play 'Eye of the Storm' by Watt White.

Eventually, he felt something sharp poke his back, after which he had his hood yanked off. He than turned to see a man in a bowler hat and suit motioning him to take his headphones off. Looking at the child beside him, he shrugged and took off his headphones, to which the girl did the same.

"Yes?" they both asked in unison.

"I said, put your hands up in the air, now!" the man said, pointing his sword at them.

"Are you… robbing me?" the girl asked, innocently.

"Yes!"

"Ooohhh..." She said, eyes narrowed. Then, in an instant, she kicked the consciousness out of the man. Then, two more men got into the aisle. Rain took out his weapon, Caliburn, and changed it into a War Scythe, before launching himself towards one of the assailents and sending him flying out of the window, with the young girl following suit, taking out a Scythe and knocking the other man outside, rendering him unconscious.

"Nice one, little red" Rain said, flashing her a smile.

"Thanks"

More henchmen head out of the shop and run at the two Scythe-Wielders, splitting into two groups. Rain broke away from his temporary partner, going to the opposite side of the intersection to face his opponents. "Armor of Great Kings of the past, give me protection against those who oppose my will. I call, Gaia!" and after being surrounded by circles of runic letters and being enveloped in a bright light, he appeared, wearing an odd piece of armor, with a black hooded trench-coat worn over it. Switching to Caliburn's sword form and splitting it in two, he rushed forward, cutting every bullet that got shot down. As soon as he got close, he got into a rapid spin, using the blunt edge, taking out 4 out of 5 of his opponents. He then turned towards the last opponent. In an instant, he was a few feet away of the henchman, sword glowing. "Rapid leap" he said, jumping forward and spinning, throwing his final assailant away and knocking him out.

Back on to the young girl's fight. She starts of with spinning around her scythe and kicking the first approaching criminal in the face. She gets her Scythe out of the ground and fires it off to hit another one with the butt of her weapon, sending him flying. She fires again and brings the side down on one attacker and dodges the next's gunfire with her rifle's speed, getting close enough to knock him into the air and follow him upwards so she can beat him away from her.

Then, one last person, presumably the leader, came out of the shop. Upon closer inspection, Rain identified the man as Roman Torchwick. "You were worth every cent. Truly, you were". Roman said, looking towards the young girl and Rain. "Well, Red, and Wolf, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around..." he said, raising his cane and revealing a rifle with a cross-grid. "...I'm afraid this is where we part ways". Roman unleashes a red blast at the duo, who dodge it with ease. When they landed and looked up, Roman wasn't there, and is climbing up a ladder on a nearby building.

"You okay if I go after him?" the girl asked the shopkeeper, to which he gives a short "Uh huh", and the two of them set off. Roman makes it to the roof, with the young girl high-flying and Rain teleporting, landing right behind him. "Hey!" she shouted, causing Roman tostop at the edge. "Persistent...". the duo gets ready to fight him, but a getaway Bullhead rises up and opens the hatch to allow Roman inside. He turns around and holds up a red Dust gem. "End of the line, children" he said, throwing it out at her feet and fires at her, resulting in a large explosion.

"Whoa-ho-ho-ho! Huh?"

A woman in a purple cape is now in front of the , casting a circle of protection over them with her wand. As Rain looks on, the caped purple-caped huntress waves her weapon and summons several streaks of purple at the craft. Roman is thrown around in the back until he goes to the cockpit, where a hooded woman, face unseen, is struggling with the controls. "We got a Huntress!". The woman gets up and heads toward the back as Roman takes the controls. The huntress glows purple for a moment and aims another blast above the craft, resulting in a dark storm-cloud right over the jet. "The hell...?" Roman said. With a flick of her wand, large jagged hail starts falling that pummels the jet and even breaks through the window, narrowly missing Roman's head.

The woman reaches the back and her arms and chest were surrounded in runic language, aiming a burst of energy at the purple Huntress. The Huntress blocks it, but the flame splatters behind her and glows hot with the enemy's raised hand. She back-flips out of the explosion, which destroys part of the roof, and magically gathers the shards to create a large arrow, which she throws at the craft. The hooded woman shatters the arrow with several blasts, but it reforms just in time to hit the side of the jet due to Roman's quick aerial lean. The wreckage separates and reshapes into more arrows that encircle the jet, but the woman summons several glowing rings around herself that expand and destroy the shards.

The young girl, finally acting, reverts her scythe into its rifle form to fire at the woman, who blocks each shot and creates several blazing circles around her two opponents. Rain acts quickly and pulls up a protective dome around them, negating the explosion. They then look up to see the hatch close and the craft fly away.

The young girl looks at the Huntress, putting on a pleading, awe-stricken face "you're a Huntress! Can I have your autograph?!"

Meanwhile, Rain was deep in thought "That was a Caster… did someone defect from the Order?"

* * *

Rain was brought in by the Huntress, who was pacing around the table he was sitting at.

"You should know how much trouble you're in Rain. You know you can't use your weapon outside of the academy. And you've not only put yourself, but the young girl, in trouble. What if your sister hears about this?" Glynda said, showing him a concerned look.

"I know Ms. Glynda… but what did you want me to do? If we didn't stop them, more people would've gotten hurt if we DIDN'T do anything. I know that, the girl knows that, and you know that. Now where is Mr. Ozpin? I need to speak with him. NOW"

"It must be very important if you're this impatient. Now what do you have to tell me?" Ozpin said, walking into the room, sipping his coffee.

"It's about the woman we fought. She's a Caster, like Arturia. Someone has defected from the Order. And judging from the power of her Fira spells, she's as strong as a King" Rain said, resisting the urge to shout. Immediately Ozpin stopped drinking. "Well, young Rain. We shall hunt her down. For now, let us discuss your actions. What you did today was… admirable. Dangerous, but admirable. Who thought you how to use that weapon?"

"Caliburn? I learned how to use her myself. Not many people wield a sword as big as me, let alone dual-wield two of them. And nobody in Sanctum uses a War-Scythe. So I naturally had to learn how to use it on my own" I said, holding my beloved weapon in my hands. I remembered all the times hurt myself trying to learn how to use it. It was painful, but eventually my efforts bore fruits.

"which leads me to my next question: Why would the wielder of one of the most powerful magical relics, the Excalibur, want to become a Huntsman? You could have easily become one of the Masters considering your skills" Ozpin asked, pouring another cup of coffee for himself.

"Well, I don't want to be a Master. Between sitting in a circle, discussing the usage of magic, and being out there, helping people with neither skill nor magic, I'd much rather choose the latter. And… I'm looking for someone"

"Oh? And who might this person be?"

"… its a private matter"

"I understand. Now, one last question..." Ozpin said, sitting down across me. "how would you like to join my academy?"

* * *

Rain stood outside the room, thinking about what Ozpin said.

"Beacon… should I though? We still have a year to go. Maybe we'll join Beacon then… but the way he said it. He wasn't asking me, he was telling me. And I know Ozpin's hardly ever wrong" I said to myself.

"Oh, hello!"

I was startled by the sudden voice. I looked around to find the same girl I fought with. Upon closer inspection, I finally noticed the severe height difference between us. If she was the normal height of a human, I was a giant. She was a young, silver-eyed girl dressed in a black blouse, a black waist cincher with red lacing and a skirt with red trimmings, completed by a red, hooded cloak with cross-shaped pins holding her cloak to her shirt. Around her waist is a belt, as well as a magazine pouch. The ends of her hair was tinted with a little red, just like mine. But her silver-eyes were what drew me in the most. They seemed so familiar, but I couldn't tell. "Hello little red. Do you need anything?" I asked, smiling at her.

"I'm not little! I. Drink. Milk." she said, pouting. "Anyway, name's Ruby Rose! What's yours?" She asked, looking at me curiously.

"Rain. Rain Gleave. Nice to meet you" I said, extending a handshake, which she accepted.

"Sooo… did Professor Ozpin ask you?"

"Huh?"

"You know, to join Beacon!" She said, waving her hands in the air.

"...Yeah"

"And?"

"And what?"

"Are you coming?"

"I'm not sure"

Inside him was a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. He wanted to join, but then he'd be leaving Cinder, Mercury and Emerald behind.

"Well why not?"

"Well, there are a few people who I'll leave behind if I accept"

"Then… why not ask them to follow you?"

If only he could- Wait, what? Why didn't he think of that?

"Ruby Rose, you are a genius" Rain said, flashing a wide smile.

Immediately he ran back into the room where the headmaster was residing.

"Mr. Ozpin. I'll accept your invitation on ONE condition…"

* * *

Cinder, Rain, Mercury, and Emerald were bringing their luggage out of their house. Somehow, Rain had managed to convince Ozpin to let Cinder, Mercury and Emerald join him in Beacon.

"We'll miss you a lot, big sis" Laura, the young redhead sniffled, letting Emerald hug her. The mint-haired girl had grown really close to the children and was the most nervous to leave.

"Don't worry, I'll send you guys lots of letters and pictures, and visit when I can" Emrald said, petting the girls head.

"Be careful out there Rain. And don't kill yourself, ok?" Arturia said, hugging her surrogate brother.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. And I've got the guys with me. I'll be safe, I promise"

Over the years, their family had grown. Here were a lot more teenagers in the house now, which meant smoother days. The four of them knew their family was safe. As the Faunus turned to his friends, he smirked, asking,

"So, who's up for an adventure?"

* * *

Elsewhere, a heated discussion was happening between two individuals.

"Do you know who she is? She stole the Fall Maiden's powers! You cannot let her study here"

"I assure you James, she isn't who she was before"

"And how can you be so sure?"

"Because one of her closest friends is the son of Luna Gleave"

The name stunned him. Luna Gleave, one of Beacon's best examples of a successful Faunus Huntress.

"He's just like his mother, you know"

"Ok… But it'd still be best we keep an eye on her… So will you tell the boy? About you and Luna?"

"… In time, James. In time"

* * *

On another Bullhead, young Ruby Rose was being enveloped in a bone crushing hug from her sister, Yang Xiao Long.

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!"

"Please stop" the young girl gasped.

"But I'm so proud of you!"

"Really Sis, it was nothing"

"What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're the bee's knees" Yang said, trying to encourage her.

"I don't want to be the 'bee's knees', okay? I don't want to be any kind of knees! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees" the young brunette nervously said.

"What's with you? Aren't you excited?" the older sister asked.

"Of course I'm excited... I just… I got moved ahead _two years_. I don't want people to think I'm special or anything" Ruby sighed.

Yang goes over and gives her sister a one-armed hug. "But you _are_ special!"

"Well, not really. Some other guy got invited to! I think his name was Rain. He's a Wolf Faunus, with. a. Scythe!" Ruby squealed.

"Rain? Wolf Faunus? He sounds famili-" Yang stopped, her eyes wide with shock. _Rain's… alive?_

Her train of thought was interrupted as a hologram of Glynda appears.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon!"

"Who's that?" Yang asked.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch"

"Oh"

"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

Ruby' face was then plastered to the glass window. "Oh, wow! Look, you can see Signal from up here! I guess home isn't too far after all!"

"Beacon's our home, now" Yang answered, standing beside her sister

But then the moment was broken when the two hear a passenger groaning and hunched over nearby, running to the back of the ship.

"Well... I guess the view isn't for everyone" Yang said, rolling her eyes at the boy's reaction to flying.

"It was a nice moment while it lasted" Ruby added, beaming

"I wonder who we're gonna meet! I just hope they're better than Vomit Boy" Ruby said, softly.

 _So Rain's alive. Why didn't he tell me?! That jerk. When I find him I'm gonna-_ Yang's train of thought was interrupted by her sister's screeching

"Oh, Yang, gross! You have puke on your shoe!"

"Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!"

"Get-Get away! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!"

* * *

 **Oh ho ho! It looks like two of our dear heroines know who Rain is! But what is his relationship with them? What will happen when they reunite? Will I get enough sleep? stay tuned for the next chapter.**

 **Again, thanks for the follows and favorites and if you have any ideas and such, feel free to review or message me. Till next time!**

 **~Kaage**


	6. V 1, Chpt 2: The Shining Beacon

**Yahallo! Kaage here with a new chapter! I'm aware that the earlier chapter was... not up to standard. I'm improving, but that takes time. So sorry again.**

 **In other news, I did get enough sleep! Which was surprising seeing as I finished the earlier chapter when it was 2 a.m. in the morning. School is ABSOLUTE hell right now in the trimester as EVERYBODY is struggling in English and apparently I'm the only one that can actually pass the tests, so EVERYONE is asking for my help. It'd be fine if maybe one or two people, but a WHOLE class? Headaches all day every day, and it's worse since exams start soon. But club activities are doing great! And you know how much I LOVE my club activities. But hey, life is good and bad, right?**

 **So see you at the end guys!**

 **~Kaage**

* * *

~Volume 1, Chapter 2: The Shining Beacon, Part 1~

The road to Beacon was peaceful. If you ignored the argument between Emerald and Mercury, of course.

"I'm telling you, stop doing your pranks. Do you want to get expelled? After Rain tried so hard to let us join him early?"

"Relax Em, it's not like I'll get kicked out for dousing water on a person"

"But you WILL get expelled if you do it long enough"

"... Ok. I'll cut down"

"No. Stop"

"I'll do it once in a while"

"I said stop"

"... I'll think about it"

Elsewhere, Cinder and Rain were discussing their plans for when they touched down.

"This is a mistake. Ozpin knows I took the Fall Maiden's powers. It's a deathtrap. I'll be killed the moment we touch down" Cinder said, sitting cross legged and staring out of the window, with Rain sitting beside her.

"Cinder, don't worry. The three of us are here to help you-"

"Emerald and Mercury are a part of this too. They helped me steal her powers. And we'll drag you down with us if you're not careful" She said, staring straight into his eyes.

"And you won't. I can handle myself. And I made a promise. And a Saber never breaks a promise. I'm standing by you. For now an forever" Rain said, taking Cinder's hand within his own and staring into her bright Amber eyes with his own Rose Red ones, making her blush slightly at the contact.

"Ok... I understand. I trust you" Cinder sighed. She enjoyed his company. Unlike Mercury, who was loud and lazy, Rain was a down-to-earth and hardworking person. And unlike Emerald, who was matured, yet too soft-spoken with her, Rain was outspoken, yet matured when he speaks.

"Hey lovebirds! We're landing. Let's go!" Mercury called, earning a smack from Emerald, a blush from Cinder and a sigh from Rain.

"Well, you heard him. Let's go"

* * *

As soon as they touched down, they saw an explosion from another Bullhead.

"Well, we're not even in the initiation yet, and there are already accidents and explosions. Who's up for some exploring?" Rain asked. And in an instant, Mercury walked away. "Well, let's go girls"

As they got closer, Rain surprisingly saw the two girls he met during the night of the robbery. Ruby Rose and... that white-haired girl. He never really got her name. Well, time to stop their argument.

"Hello girls. May I help you?" Rain said, approaching them.

"And who do you think you are- Oh" the White-haired stopped, wide-eyed at the sight of him.

"Oh, Rain! How are you! And who are they?" Ruby asked, pointing towards Cinder and Emerald.

"Oh, they're Cinder Fall and Emerald Sustrai. Guys, meet Ruby Rose. She helped me stop the robbery. And this is... uh..." Rain said, guesturing towards the White-haired girl.

"Don't you know who I am? I-"

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world" a young, bow wearing girl said, walking towards them.

The girl, now identified as Weiss, smiled smugly. "Finally! Some recognition!"

"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners"

And to this the young heiress was left speechless. ""Wha- How dare you- The nerve of... Ugh!"

She gets up in front of the girl's face and takes the bottle of Dust away from her, and before storming off, she turned to Rain and said, "I would expect YOU to remember my name, Rain"

"I promise I'll make this up to you! I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day... So, what's..."Ruby asks but sees the mysterious girl walking off as well, then collapses to the ground on her back. "Welcome to Beacon"

"Hey, you'll get better. Just give it some time" Rain said, chuckling at the young girl's awkwardness.

She remains this way until a shadow comes over her.

"Hey... I'm Jaune" he said, holding out his hand.

"Ruby" she says, taking his hand and standing up.

"Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"

The only thing Rain, Cinder and Emerald could do was shake their heads and sigh.

* * *

"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!" Jaune said, putting his hands up in the air.

With a laugh, Ruby answered, "Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind."

"Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?"

"Hey, that explosion was an accident!"

"Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue- ladies love it!" Jaune said, giving them a 'charming' smile.

"Do they?" the four of them asked skeptically.

"They will! Well, I-I hope they will. My mom always says that... Never mind."

"Well, name's Rain Gleave. That's Cinder Fall and that's Emerald Sustrai. There WAS supposed to be one more guy, Mercury Black. But he went ahead of us" Rain said, gesturing to his companions.

Ruby giggled at Jaune's introduction, before an awkward silence befell them. "So... I got this thing!" Ruby said, pulling out her Scythe and planted it on the ground.

"Whoa! Is that a scythe?" Jaune said, wide-eyed.

"It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!"

"A-wha...?"

She cocks it, smiling. "It's also a gun."

"Oh. That's cool!"

"So what've you got?" Ruby asked, now curious.

"Oh! I, uh..." Jaune said, unsheathing his sword. "I got this sword!"

"Ooooohh!"

"Yeah, and I've got a shield, too!" he says, getting his scabbard, raising his arm and expanding the metal into his defense.

Touching his shield, she asked, "So, what do they do?"

Jaune fumbled with the shield as it retracts off his arm, expands, and retracts again before putting it back in place and finally shrinking it down for good, placing it on his belt. "The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away..."

"But... wouldn't it weigh the same?"

"Yeah, it does..." Jaune said, dejectedly. Well, what about you guys?" Jaune asked the trio, hoping their weapons weren't as flashy.

"Well..." Emerald started, taking her weapons out. "I've got these dual pistols. They turn into kusarigamas..." she continued, changing the weapons into their alternate forms. "… That can also be detached using chains" she ended, demonstrating the weapon further.

It was Cinder's turn next. "Well, these are my weapons" she said, pulling out a pair of blades. "they can be used as normal blades, or as a bow" she demonstrated, combining her blades into a bow and firing three arrows towards the sky, which exploded when they reached their maximum height. "I can also manipulate fire" she continued, forming a ball of flames in her hands.

Now all eyes were on Rain. Jaune expected his weapon to be something sleek and simple due to the way he carried himself. Oh, boy was he wrong. And now Ruby was trembling in excitement.

Rain pulled out his baby, Caliburn. "This is Caliburn. She has three weapon forms. Sword, Rifle, and War-Scythe, with different variations for each. The Sword form comprises of two blades combined into one. I can use the Dust vents to dispel Dust that can be ignited to produce various effects like burn, freeze, paralyze and others. I can also use the Vents that can propel me forward at high speeds" Rain says, demonstrating the Sword Form's capabilities. Next was his Rifle form. "The Rifle Form allows for different munitions to be used and can shoot in bursts, semi-automatic and full-automatic. There's a bi-pod stand installed, which allows it to function as a sniper rifle" he continued, further demonstrating the Caliburn's ranged capabilities. "Lastly, there's the War Scythe. It functions as both a Scythe and a Glaive, which complements my flexible acrobatic fighting style for the weapon. The rifle function now also acts as a propellant, letting me move twice as quick. And makes my attacks twice as fast" Rain said, changing Caliburn into it's final form.

By the end of his explanation, Jaune was dazed, being overloaded with information, and Ruby was screaming with joy. But then she noticed a dagger strapped behind his back.

"Hey Rain, what's this dagger for?" she asked, pointing at his intricately designed black, blue, yellow and gray dagger.

"It's for... emergencies" Rain answered, putting a finger on his lips.

They then both turned to Jaune, who's mouth was agape.

"Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, sooo... I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it." Ruby explained, giggling.

"Me too, I guess" Rain answered sheepishly.

"Wait- you guys _made_ that?!"

"Yup, all me" Rain said, slinging Caliburn over his shoulder.

"Yes" Cinder answered.

"Me too" Emerald said, sheathing her weapons

"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons! Didn't you make yours?" Ruby asked.

"It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war" Jaune answered, dejected.

"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me!" Ruby laughed. "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

"Yeah, the classics…" Jaune said, sheathing his sword.

"So why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?" Ruby asked.

Jaune just shrugged, answering, "Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'"

"That's true" Rain agreed, with Cinder and Emerald nodding.

"Hmm" Ruby said looking around. "Hey, where are we going?"

"Oh, I don't know! I was following you. Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark? Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?" Jaune asked, nervous.

"That's a 'no'" Ruby laughed.

* * *

 **And that wraps it up! I had to sneak my laptop into school to write this. Thank god school starts at 8.30, so I went to school at 6 and spent until homeroom writing the story. And lunch time. And the time between the end of school and my club activities, as well as the train ride back home and after I got my homework done. The response for the earlier chapter was AMAZING! Save for a few reviews. And that really spurred me to write the next chapter. And since this episode was short, it was really easy to finish.**

 **Thanks for the favorites and follows and please voice your opinions and ideas if you have any!**

 **So from my comfort of my own home in Japan. See you in the next chapter!**

 **~Kaage**


	7. V 1, Chpt 2: The Shining Beacon, Pt 2

**Yahallo! Kaage here with part 2 of "The Shining Beacon"! I've been re-watching RWBY non-stop and reading transcripts to try to make this story as accurate as possible.**

 **In other news, I've hurt my hand during Kendo practice, as well as my ankle when I was putting up the posters for the new International Music Club. I just need 4 more people to make the club official!**

 **So see you at the end!**

 **~Kaage**

* * *

~Volume 1, Chapter 2: The Shining Beacon, Part 2~

Eventually, the 5 young Huntsmen and Huntresses found their way to the main hall.

"Well, I'll see you guys during the initiation. Cinder, Em. Let's go find Mercury" Rain walked away, waving and smiling at the socially awkward duo.

* * *

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" Yang waved towards Ruby.

"Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!" Ruby said towards Jaune, leaving.

"Hey, wait! Ah, great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?!" Jaune sighed, walking away, not noticing a Red-headed Amazonian watching him walk away.

Ruby stood beside Yang arms crossed. "How's your first day going, little sister" Yang asked

"You mean since you _ditched_ me and I _exploded_?"

"Yikes! Meltdown already?" Yang asked, surprised.

"No, I _literally_ exploded in front of the school! And there was some fire, and I think some ice...?" Ruby explained.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Yang asked skeptically, smiling broadly.

Ruby scoffed, not noticing Weiss standing right beside her. "I wish! I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I EXPLODED, and then she yelled at me again, and I felt really, _really_ bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"

"YOU!"

"Oh, God, it's happening again!" the young girl said, quickly jumping into her sister's arms.

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Weiss shouted, pissed.

"Oh, my God, you really exploded..." the blonde said, wide-eyed.

"It was an accident. It was an accident!" Ruby spoke, only to have a pamphlet titled _'_ _DUST for dummies and other Inadequate Individuals' shoved in_ front of her face _._ "What's this?"

Weiss started listing off policies to a clueless and horrified Ruby, going faster and higher pitched with each word "...The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field"

"Uuhhh...?"

"You really wanna start making things up to me?"

"Absolutely?"

She then handed the pamphlet to Ruby. "Read this, and don't ever speak to me again"

"Look, uh, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?" Yang said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"Yeah! Great idea, sis!" Ruby agreed, putting the pamphlet away and holding out her hand as she clears her throat. "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!"

"Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond, and _scraggly_ over there!" Weiss spoke seemingly enthusiastically, pointing towards Jaune who, in the background, picks up on the mention.

"Wow, really?!" Ruby said, thinking Weiss was 'giving her a chance'.

"No"

"If only Rain was here..." Ruby said, downcast.

Now Yang was in the conversation. "You saw Rain?! Where is he?!" she asked, grabbing Ruby by her shoulders and shaking her back and forth.

"Yes, where is Rain? I need to talk to him" Weiss demanded, hands on her hips.

"And why do you need to talk to him, huh?"

"To discuss something. And to reprimand him" the Snow White-Haired girl said, mumbling the last part.

And in the background, Ruby was struggling to tell them anything.

"Uhh, guys..."

* * *

Cinder was PISSED. Very pissed. Who did she think she was? Just because she held the title of 'Heiress', she acted like she owned Beacon and everything around it.

On the other side…

"Where is that prankster? When I find him..." Emerald muttered, irritation leaking out of her.

"Relax Em, it was his choice he didn't want to join us. Don't take it out on him" Rain said, putting his hand on her shoulder, making Emerald squeak in surprise.

"EEPP! Don't do that Rain! Your hands are cold" Emerald pouted, making the wolf Faunus chuckle.

"Add sleeves next time. Maybe then you won't get a cold shoulder"

"Hmph"

"Hey Cinder, you ok? You seem angry" he asked, looking at the brunette in the eye. "It's about that Weiss girl, isn't it? Don't let it get to you" he said, seemingly reading her mind.

One would think that by living with Rain for 2 years, she would be used to his direct way of talking. But no, she still blushed upon contact, no matter how casual the gesture, and her heart keeps thumping when his Rose Red eyes looked into her own Amber ones. But besides that, she was a calm and level-headed person, and maybe a little manipulative.

 _Please stop looking at me like that._ She thought, suppressing a blush.

"Hey guys, found him" Emerald called, pointing at their gray-haired friend talking to Pyrrha.

"Hey Pyrrha!"

"Hello Prryha"

"It's nice to see you Prryha"

"Oh hello! What are you doing it here?" Prryha asked curiously, cocking her head.

"Rain, can you explain it? You do it better than me" Mercury said, tapping his shoulder and walking behind him.

"Well, Mr. Ozpin invited me to attend Beacon after he saw my… skills in action. All I did was give a condition that the three of them join me and it went from there"

"Oh… ok!" Prryha said, finally understanding.

"Hey guys, Ozpin's there"

* * *

Soon, the Huntsmen and Huntresses attention is drawn to the stage, where Professor Ozpin is readying the microphone, with Glynda beside him.

"I'll... keep this brief" Ozpin started, looking around. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step"

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed" Glynda said. And with that, the speech was over.

"He seemed kind of... off" Yang said, skeptical.

"It's almost like he wasn't even there" Ruby spoke, agreeing.

Jaune just approached Weiss from the side _._ "I'm a natural blond, you know!"

And all Weiss could do was put her hand to her face in exasperation.

* * *

It was the first night at Beacon, and students are splayed out in sleeping bags. Ruby, in her pajamas and with a sleeping mask around her head, is writing in a journal when Yang crashes next to her, similarly dressed.

"It's like a big slumber party!"

"I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though" Ruby added, not looking up.

"I know I do!" Yang said, purring as she watches several muscular, shirtless guys... and Jaune, dressed in feetie pajamas, waving to her, which makes her groan before she returns her attention to Ruby. "What's that?"

"A letter to the gang back at Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going" Ruby answered.

"Aw, that's so cuuuute!" Yang squealed, getting knocked back as a pillow is launched at her face.

"Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here!" Ruby defended, face red.

"What about Jaune? He's... nice! There you go! Plus one friend! That's a hundred percent increase! Though I won't count Rain" Yang said, whispering the last part to herself

Turning on her back, Ruby added, "Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero..."

"There's no such things as negative friends! You just made one friend and one enemy!" Yang reasoned, only to get hit with another pillow, to the face. "Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet!"

The two sisters then noticed a candle being lit nearby, and there the bow-wearing girl sat, leaning against a wall, reading her book.

"That girl..."

"You know her?"

"Not really. She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything"

"Well, now's your chance!" Yang added, grabbing Ruby's arm and lifting her up.

Now Ruby was freaking out. "Wait! What are you doing?!"

The mysterious bookworm noticed the commotion, looking over her book to see Ruby unsuccessfully struggling against Yang's grip as she leads her sister over to her spot before letting go.

"Hel-looooo! I believe you two may know each other?" Yang sings.

"Aren't you... that girl that exploded?"

"Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby! But you can just call me Crater... Actually, you can just call me Ruby"

"Okay" the bookworm said, going back in her book.

"What are you doing?" Yang whispered to Ruby.

"I don't know- **help me**!" Ruby whispered back, before _going back to smiling._

"So... What's your name?" Yang asked, trying to help her socially awkward sister.

By this time she sighed as she's distracted yet again. "Blake"

"Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!"

"Thanks!" she says, irritated.

"It goes great with your... pajamas!"

"Right..."

"Nice night, don't you think?" Yang asked as Ruby laughs uncomfortably.

"Yes- it's lovely! Almost as lovely as this book!" Blake said, with Ruby and Yang standing there. "That I will continue to read" she continued, but they still didn't get the hint. "As soon as you leave"

"Yeah, this girl's a lost cause" Yang concluded, about to walk away.

"What's it about?"

"Huh?" Blake asked, surprised.

"Your book. Does it have a name?" Ruby asked, pointing to the book Blake was holding.

"Well... i-it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body" Blake explained. She clearly was not expecting this.

"Oh, yeah... That's real lovely!" Yang said sarcastically.

"I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters... They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress!"

"And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?" Blake asked, laughing a little.

"Well, I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!"

"That's... very ambitious for a child" she spoke, her smile turning into a frown. "Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale"

"Well, that's why we're here! To make it better" Ruby reasoned, a small smile on her face.

"Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister!" Yang squealed, hugging Ruby into the air.

"Cut it out!" Ruby shrieked, kicking out and causing the forced sisterly bonding to evolve into a dust cloud of fighting limbs and flying stars.

Blake let out a light chuckle. "Well, Ruby, Yang, it's a pleasure to ha-"

"What in the world is going on over here?! Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?" Weiss said, storming onto the scene in her own pajamas as Ruby traps Yang's leg.

"Oh, not you again!" Weiss and Yang said in unison at the sight of each other.

"Shh! Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep!" Ruby reasoned, trying to calm them down.

"Oh, _now_ you're on my side!" Weiss rebutted.

"I was always on your side!"

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!" Yang defended.

Now Weiss was outnumbered. "She's a hazard to my health!"

Blake, who rolls her eyes at the fight, simply closes her book, reaches over to grab her candle, and blows it out, enveloping the room in darkness.

* * *

While all this was happening, Rain was tossing and turning, trying to sleep. Right now, he wished he wasn't a Faunus. He could clearly hear the argument between the three girls and their screams and shouts were not helping.

By now he had enough.

He got up and walked out of the ballroom, trying to find his way to the roof. As soon as he got there, he moved to a secluded corner and started meditating.

 _Feel the Beast, Feel the Human, Feel the Balance._ That was the mantra he kept repeating in his mind. He sifted through his emotions. Happy, angry, nervous? No, anxious. Anxious for tomorrow. It was a confusing mix of feelings, positive and negative.

He has been trying for the longest time to find the balance between the Man and Beast inside. So far, he's found out that meditating worked best. This was now commonplace in his routine. Every day, he would meditate at least once. One in the morning, to calm his nerves and steel himself for the day, and one at night, to sift through his emotions and further balance the forces within him.

"Brilliant night, isn't it?"

And this was one of the obstacles he faces during meditation. And all he had to do was ignore it.

" **sighs…** Just like your mother, so focused on the task at hand. Excellent, but it can be trouble if you're not careful"

Now THIS caught his attention. He opened his eyes and saw Professor Ozpin, looking at him softly.

"You knew my mother? She's never mentioned that"

"The two of us were in the same year at Beacon. We were close, despite being in different teams" Ozpin explained, looking at the moon. Rain could see… sadness? Regret? Anger? Why was he feeling this way?

"Mr. Ozpin, may I ask a question?"

"Yes, you may"

"Why do you feel sad, regretful, angry? I can see it in your eyes" Rain asked, worried and curious.

"And just as perceptive as your mother" he sighed. "I just wished I was there to protect them"

"You mean my family, sir?"

"Yes" he answered. "And I regret not being there to stop it from happening. I regret it everyday"

"Well… for the record, you had no way of knowing what would happen" Rain said, trying to take the negativity away.

There was silence for a while. Then Ozpin continued, "this person you're looking for… are you looking for your family's killer?"

"… Yes. Yes I am"

Ozpin began walking towards the exit. "Your mother, Luna, wouldn't have wanted this"

And with that, he left, leaving Rain to contemplate about the conversation. Soon, he felt streaks of water on his face. _Tears? Am I crying? Soon_ after that, he started to silently break down, remembering the burning house.

* * *

 _~Rain's Memory No.1: The Flames of Loneliness~_

 _The crackling of wood surrounded him as the inferno raged on. He kept running, going under debris and dodging falling rubble._

" _Russet! Russet! Where are you little sis?!" the young boy shouted, frantically looking around._

" _Rain! Honey, are you there?"_

" _Mom! I'm up here! Second floor! I can't find Russet!"_

" _Rain, listen! When you find your sister, run as far as you can! Don't look back!"_

" _No! Mom! Don't leave me! Come back!"_

" _Big brother! Where are you!" Rain heard his sister's sobbing voice._

" _I'm coming sis! Mom, please stay! I'll get Russet!" he shouted, running to the source of the voice._

 _He finally found his frail, White-Haired little sister, huddling in the middle of the room. "I've got you sis. I've got you"_

 _Soon, they were running, going down the burning stairs and headed to the frond door, only to have beams to drop, blocking the exit. All was lost, until he had an idea._

 _Out of nowhere, he bursts out of the window, hid sister in his arms, protected from the glass shards._

 _And what he saw killed him inside._

 _There was his mother, in the arms of a beowulf, bleeding and limp._

" _Go… n-now"_

 _And with that, the last light of life disappeared from her eyes. Rain turned tail and ran towards the forest, but as he reached the edge, the building exploded, catching Rain by surprise and throwing him to the ground._

 _The Grim were catching up. He had to act now. He spotted a kitchen knife and immediately went for it, brandishing it like a straight sword. He ran forward, cutting its hand as it tried to claw at him, and ended with the first one with a stab between the eye._

 _But the next one was quickly coming, and his knife was stuck. As soon as he pulled it out, he went low, cutting one of the Beowulf's legs before running for it, taking his sister in his arms and moving towards the forest._

 _They made it a mile before Rain slipped up, tumbling and spraining his ankle. They were dead. Unless...  
_

" _Russet, run. Take this knife, and go"_

" _But Rain-"_

" _Please, go"_

" _O-Ok, I'll go- Ah!" Russet screamed, getting tackled by a Beowulf._

" _Russet!" Rain screamed. But the Grim weren't attacking._

" _What interesting children"_

 _The voice made Rain freeze. He turned to see a woman, White hair, pale skin, and a black dress. But her eyes. They were Grim's eyes._

" _What a pure child. And so frail" she went, stroking Russet's cheek._

" _Don't touch her!" Rain snapped._

 _There was a minute of silence. Before the woman broke the silence._

" _Take the girl, and leave the boy. He'll die anyway"_

" _Wai- No! Take me, please! don't take Russet. Please leave her alone! Please!"_

 _But all of the begging fell on deaf ears._

T _hey left. Leaving young Rain alone._

 _He was alone._

 _Alone._

" _Please..."_

* * *

 **Dun, Dun, Dun! Ozpin knows Rain's past! But what is his role? What will happen during initiation? Will I grow taller than 1.70 meters? Find out in the next chapter!**

 **So there's the next chapter. I got a little more ballsy when I was writing this. Now I was writing this during English class, saying that it helps improve my English. AND MY TEACHER ACCEPTED THAT REASON!**

 **So anyways, thanks for the favorites and follows and see you in the next chapter!**

 **~Kaage**


	8. V 1, Chpt 3: The First Step

**Hi! Kaage here with a new chapter. Life is miserable right now since I'm hounded by flirts and their fangirls. This message was typed on Friday so expect the next one to be typed much later, maybe on Sunday or Monday. Till then, Bye Bye!**

 **~Kaage**

* * *

~Volume 1, Chapter 3: The First Step~

"Wake up, lazy bud!" Lie Ren, a male teenager with long black hair tied into a ponytail that ends midway down his back with a magenta streak on the left side of his hair, with his eyes that match the streak in his hair, gets up with a groan as Nora, an upbeat girl with short orange hair and turquoise eyes, hounds him.

"It's morning! It's morning! It's morning! It's morning!" she sings out loud.

Lie Ren sighs again as him brushes his teeth in the restroom while Nora continues to talk.

"I can't believe we've been at Beacon for a full twenty-four hours! Not that I thought we'd get kicked out or anything, I mean, you're the perfect student and I'm... well, I'm _me_! But it's just crazy, you know?"

The two are now readying themselves. Nora is now brushing her hair and still chattering while Ren is tightening the strings on his sleeping bag.

"We've been friends for _soooooooo_ long! What are the odds we'd still be together? Well, not 'together-together'... Not that I'm not saying that you're not handsome; you _are_ handsome, but that'd just be weird, right?"

Now the two are in the middle of eating their breakfast, Nora having a pancake hanging from her mouth as she is still talking.

"Right! What was I thinking? But still, I hope we end up on the same team together!" Nora muffles through her food, after which she _slurps up the rest of her pancake_. "Oohhhh! We should come up with some sort of plan, to make sure we end up on the same team together! What if we bribe the headmaster? No, that won't work. He has the school"

Now the two are readying themselves in the locker room, Ren loading his weapon, Storm Flower and Nora still talking

"I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal! **gasps** A _secret_ signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth?"

"Nora?" Ren said, finally answering.

"Yes, Ren?"

Sheathing his weapons in his sleeves, he explains, "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise"

Nora was silent as she thought about this for a moment _._ "That's why it's **perfect**! No one will suspect we're working together!"

"Come on Nora, let's go"

"Not 'together-together'..." Nora giggles, as they walked away.

* * *

Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long were busy readying themselves as they saw Ren and Nora heading out.

"Wonder what those two are so worked up about?"

"Oh, who knows? So, you seem awfully chipper this morning!"

"Yep! No more awkward small talk or 'getting-to-know-you' stuff. Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking" Ruby chirped, stroking he Scythe, Crescent Rose, as she sighs happily.

"Well, remember, Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together" Yang retorted, Bursting her bubble.

"You sound like **Dad**!" Ruby sighs in frustration, shoving her weapon into the locker. "Okay, first of all: What does meeting new people have to do with fighting? And secondly: I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink **milk**!"

"But what about when we form teams?"

This suddenly made Ruby nervous. "Um, I don't know, I... I'll just be on your team or something..."

"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?" Yang asked, Bringing her hair around her shoulder and stroking it.

"My dear sister Yang, are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?"

"What? No! Of course I do! I just thought... I don't know, maybe it would help you... break out of your shell!"

"What the-?! I don't need to 'break out of my shell'! That's absolutely-"

* * *

"Ridiculous!" Jaune shouted, suddenly walking in between the sisters, holding a map and looking lost. _"_ There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would've remembered having to count that high! Why does this have to happen today?" Jaune shouted, passing by Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos as they ready themselves at their lockers.

"So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself!" Weiss praises innocently.

"Hmm... I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may"

"Well... I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together"

"Well, that sounds grand!" Pyrrha answered. _But I'd much rather be in Rain's team. Or the blond._

"Great!". _This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we will be unstoppable! I can see it now! We'll be popular! We'll be celebrities! We'll get perfect grades! Nothing can come between us now!_ Weiss schemes a sinister look on her face and her hands rubbing each other.

"You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you" Jaune interjected, coming between them and interrupting Weiss evil train of thought.

This irritated Weiss. "You again?"

"Nice to meet you, Jaune!" Pyrrha said, hurriedly letting herself be seen.

"Yeah, yeah" Jaune said, pushing Pyrrha aside and talking to Weiss, posing slightly. "So, Weiss, couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day"

"Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me!"

"Don't worry! No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumors about teams! I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?"

"Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so-" Pyrrha explains, getting Jaune's attention.

"You don't say" Jaune cuts her off, as he advances on his new target. "Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team"

"Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" Weiss asks, seperating the two.

"Not in the slightest, snow angel"

" _This_ is Pyrrha"

"Hello again!" Pyrrha added.

"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum"

"Never heard of it"

"She's won the Mistral Region Tournaments four years in a row! A new record!" Weiss scoffs.

"The what?"

"She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!" She added, waving her arms rapidly in anger.

"That's _you_?!" Jaune gasps. "But they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"

"Yeah, it was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you"

"So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask _her_ to be on your team?" Weiss asks, trying to crush his hopes.

"I guess not... Sorry..." he finally said, hanging his head.

"Actually, Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader!" Pyrrha said, trying to lift Jaune's spirits. And that seemed to do the trick.

"D'oh, stop it!" Jaune said, immediately brightening back up.

"Seriously, please stop it. This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!"

"Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick! Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings, find a place for you. What do you say?" Jaune asks, getting closer to Weiss.

"All right, that's a bit too close! Pyrrha, a little help, please?!"

Jaune looks back just in time to see Milo strike him, sending the young blonde flying off.

"I'm sorry!" was all Pyrrha could say.

Then, an announcement plays on the intercom system.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately" Glynda's voice played from the P.A. system.

Weiss passed Jaune as he hangs from the wall of a locker on her way out. Pyrrha follows her, grabbing her spear and dropping Jaune to the ground.

"It was nice meeting you!"

"Likewise..." Jaune dejectedly said, slumping against the locker.

"Having some trouble there, lady-killer?" Yang asked as she and Ruby approached the blonde.

"I don't understand. My dad said all women look for is confidence! Where did I go wrong?" Jaune asks, accepting Ruby's offered hand and uses her to lift himself back up.

"Snow Angel" _probably_ wasn't the best start"

"Come on, Jaune, let's go."

Ruby then leads Jaune out of the locker room by supporting him and his damaged self-esteem.

* * *

Emerald woke up to see Cinder hugging her Grimm Plushie, smiling in her sleep, Mercury sprawled all around, snoring, and Rain absent. But something was amiss: Rain's sleeping bag was still there unpacked.

"Weird… Rain never leaves his stuff unpacked. What happened?"

Emerald went to the first place that popped in her mind: The roof.

When she got there, what she saw made her go silent: There was Rain, sleeping on the cold hard floor, his eyes puffy, which meant he was crying. His hair was disheveled, and she had to admit, Rain looked much more cuter.

"Rain, wake up. We have to go" Emerald said, shaking her Faunus friend.

"Russet, no..." Rain mumbled, reaching out and grabbing Emerald, bringing her down and hugging her, burying his face into her Mint-Green hair.

"Wha- R-Rain!" Emerald squeaked, taken completely by surprise. She felt his breath rushing against her scalp, sending shivering goosebumps down her spine. She tried to squirm out of his grasp, only for him to hug her tighter. She tried to turn so she could push herself off him, which only made it worse as she was now facing him, the fronts of their bodies now close, as his face was now buried onto the crook of her neck. Shivers went down her spine as his breaths now directly came into contact her skin, sending goosebumps all over her body. Her face was on the crook of his neck, and she could smell his hair, which smelled like fresh Spearmint.

This was bad. She had to get out of this mess. She kept shaking him, trying desperately to wake him up.

"Russet..."

"God, Rain don't do this to me" Emerald begged, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Don't… leave… RUSSET!" Rain abruptly woke up, subconsciously pinning Emerald to the ground, Dark-Red eyes meeting Rose-Red ones. It took a minute to register what had happened, after which Emerald turned into a Tomato, steam blowing out of her ears.

"R- Rai- Wha- Wait- Please-" Emerald flustered out, her thoughts scrambled from the things that had just taken place. For once, the matured, headstrong girl was lost for words.

Rain, on the other hand, had other things in his head. Literally. In Emerald's place, he saw his 4-year-old sister, Russet. Blink once, blink twice, and he saw Emerald, flustered and sputtering words out. He immediately got off her, taking a breath of fresh air.

Silence filled the air as the two friends sat on the roof, an awkward air surrounding the both. Even Rain, who was never known to show his embarrassment, was blushing.

"So… Rain" Emerald asked, glancing at Rain. "Who's Russet?"

"She's… I can't tell you who she is" Rain hesitated in his answer.

This made Emerald even more curious. Rain was never one for secrets. So why couldn't he tell her who this 'Russet' was?

Sighing, Rain continued, "I'm sorry Emerald, but it's… it's… just something I can't share"

This was a new side to Rain. He was usually positive and level-headed. A leader, like Cinder. But this Rain… he was a lump of sadness. She decided to leave it at that, for his sake.

"Ok Rain, I'll drop it. Sorry" Emerald ended, wrapping her arms around Rain to comfort him.

And it was at this moment that Mercury decided to butt in.

"Rain you player… that's my bro!"

At first, there was silence.

Then, in a flash, Emerald was on Mercury, beating him up with a flustered face.

Then the intercom activated.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately" Glynda's voice played from the P.A. system.

And so Rain and Emerald began making their way to the lockers, a beaten-up Mercury being dragged.

* * *

The students were now along the cliff, overlooking a forest, where several students — some old, some new, and some unseen — are standing on silver tiles in front of a mug-holding Professor Ozpin and Glynda with her tablet.

"For years" Ozpin started, "you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest"

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams'. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... **today** " Glynda spoke.

"What? Ohhh..."

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well" Ozpin said, which earned a groan from Ruby **.**

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years"

" **Whaaaat?!"** Ruby shrieked, as her world cracked like glass and falling apart.

"See? I _told_ you~!" Nora spoke gleefully.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you **will** die"

All Jaune could do was laugh nervously and then gulp loudly.

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah, um, sir?" Jaune asks.

" **Good**! Now, take your positions"

Everyone strikes a pose on their tile. Nora crouches low, Ren wields his weapons, Yang raises her fists, Ruby readies her body, and Jaune is still raising his hand.

"Uh, sir? I've got, um... a question. So, this landing... strategy thing... Uh, wha-what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?"

"No. You will be falling"

"Oh, uh, I see... So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?"

"No. You will be using your own 'landing strategy'" Ozpin answered.

"Uh-huh... Yeah"

At her turn, Yang winks at her younger sister, puts on a pair of aviators, and flies off with a "Woo-hoooooooo!" a second before Ruby joins her.

"So, what exactly is a landing strateg **YYY**!..."

Jaune asks just when he gets hurled with the cloud of students now making their way down into the forest below under the eyes of the teachers. Ozpin, for his part, simply takes a sip of his drink.

"Welp, let's do this guys" Rain spoke, getting ready to launch.

Cinder went first, using her flames to boost herself. Next was Mercury, who used his boots, Hermes's Flight, to boost himself higher in the air. Emerald got her weapons, Jeweler's Engravers, ready, planning to use them to swing from tree to tree.

"Rain"

"Yes Mr. Ozpin?" Rain said, deploying Caliburn in it's War Scythe form.

"Remember what I said"

"… Yes sir"

And he flew off, using Caliburn's High-Caliber rounds to push himself further.

"He's forgiven you Ozpin. Let it rest. Let Luna rest" Glynda said, trying to console Ozpin.

"He may have, but I haven't"

* * *

 _~Ozpin's memory No. 1: Gray Hairs and White Ears~_

 _It had been two weeks since the initiation. Ozpin was now in the courtyard, trying to hide from Glynda after he made a mistake of ruining her hair by running past her too far._

" _How do I get out of this one..."_

" _How about apologizing?"_

 _Ozpin was taken by surprise, quickly standing out and brandishing his cane. Out of nowhere, half a figure popped out from the tree. A young, White-Haired, female Wolf Faunus was hanging upside down, her wide Baby Blue eyes staring at him curiously._

" _I saw what happened. You ran SO fast! And it was SO cool! Is that your natural speed, or is that your Semblance?" she asked, eyes sparkling._

" _Uh..." Ozpin was seriously weirded out by her enthusiasm. Suddenly, she seemed to have let go of the tree branch and was now floating mid-air, a blue light surrounding her._

" _Oh, it's my Semblance! I can levitate in the air and stay there. I'm trying to learn to fly, then I'd be able to fight aerial Grim easier!" She spoke, doing back-flips mid-air._

 _Ozpin found it hard to speak to her due to the level of enthusiasm and energy she was showing._

" _Oh, sorry for that. I just keep rambling sometimes. Is it weird? Am I weird? Are you weird? Oh, what am I saying? Of course you're not weird, Glyn wouldn't talk to you if you were weird. That means I'm not weird! Yay me! Wait, I'm rambling again. Sorry about that. Should I stop? I should stop. I'll stop now. Sorry"_

" _It's fine. You say I should apologize?" Ozpin asked, finally getting a chance to speak._

" _Of course! But you have to make it up to her. Maybe buy Glyn_ _some Dust crystals, she loves them!"_

" _You know Glynda?"_

" _Of course I know her! We grew up together! And on that note, Yahallo! how're doing Glyn!"_

 _Ozpin immediately felt chills down his spine, as he turned around, he saw Glynda Goodwitch, her look disheveled and the scowl on her face clearly apparent._

" _Hello Luna, I'm doing fine, now that I've found my teammate" Glynda spoke, a glint of murder in her eyes._

 _The young Faunus must have seen it too. Because soon, she jumped in front of Ozpin, arms open. "Glyn, wait! Don't hurt him. It was a mistake! Anyway, it's only happened once. I've done it COUNTLESS times! And you forgave me!"_

" _That's because you fix my hair Luna. Ozpin, on the other hand, turned tail and ran"_

" _He'll make it up for you, I promise! If he doesn't, I'll- I'll… I'll get you a case of Dust crystals!" she blurted out._

" _Oh, really? Then I'll accept it, then" and with that, Glynda left, a smirk on her face._

 _The girl's knees finally collapsed, a teardrop at the corners of her eyes._

" _Glyn's still so scary..."_

" _I apologize for that. Are you okey?"_

 _She turned to Ozpin, her face turning into a bashful smile._

" _I'm ok! Okay, maybe not. But I delayed a problem, right? That's what matters!"_

" _You realize we'll both be in trouble if I mess up, right?"_

"… _You'll do fine!" was all she answered, waving it off._

" _Anyways… Name's Luna! Luna Gleave!" she said, raising her hand and holding it out to him, offering a handshake._

" _My name is Ozpin. Nice to meet you" Ozpin spoke, accepting the handshake._

" _Love your Gray hair!"_

" _Thank you. Your White ears suit you as well"_

* * *

 **And that's a wrap! With a sprinkle of Emerald fluff in it! I love Cinder. She would be my best friend. Just love her confident, sassy and mysterious attitude! But Emerald, to me, was a ball of cute! She's the kind of person I'd want to protect from the world. I mean look at her! And her chibi version in 'RWBY: Chibi' was my favorite!**

 **So anyways, here are the names of the ex-criminal trio's weapons:**

 **Cinder: Peacekeepers**

 **Emerald: Jeweler's Engravers**

 **Mercury: Hermes's Flight**

 **Thanks to bankerrtx01 and DreawWeaverGod for the names! Love the name 'Peacekeepers'! Probably because that's my main class in For Honor.**

 **This note's written on Monday, so MANY things have happened. I hurt my wrist further whlie on the train cuz' I whacked a pervert in the face, and I got into a forced 'date' with a flirt, which I skipped (thankfully) due to my hurt wrist and sprained ankle. I mean the fangirls are still going on a Witch-Hunt for me, but other than that, I'm okay.**

 **I'm sorry if this chapter came out a little late! I'm writing with one hand right now and my small hands can't seem to type fast enough. My wrist and ankle are STILL killing me, BUT my new Club is now officially active since 5 people have joined the to-be club!**

 **Right now, I'm back in school with a cast and bandage. So I'll heal.**

 **Thanks for the faves and follows and see you in the next chapter!**

 **~Kaage**


	9. V 1, Chpt 4: The Emerald Forest

**Yahallo! Kaage here! I'm SO sorry this took SO long to make! The new club has me occupied, exams are coming, and the idiot side of me decided to write a new story. Also, I'm a Beta-Reader for a RWBY and Monster Hunter crossover story!. If you're as much of a MonHunt nut as I am, be sure to read the story! It's called 'Stygian'!**

 **So anyways, on with the story!**

* * *

~Volume 1, Chapter 4: The Emerald Forest~

* * *

 **~Rain~**

...I may have overshot my landing zone.

I was currently in the ruins, where the relics resided. How did I get here anyway? Oh yeah, I remember…

 _I was launched into the air, signaling the beginning of my initiation_

 _As soon as I got high enough, I chanted a spell_

" _Fae, Sylph"_

 _Soon, light green wings materialized on my back, giving me the ability of flight._

 _Initiation, easy mode._

 _I flew above the forest, looking for Cinder, Emerald, or Mercury. Only to find a group of Nevermore flying towards me. Well, could be worse._

 _I got Caliburn ready in its Sword Configuration, preparing to initiate the airborne battle. I burst forward, taking the heads of 3 Nevermores. I then switched into Caliburn's Rifle Configuration, setting it into Semi-Automatic, and shot 2 more Nevermores in the head. 2 Nevermores left._

 _Just as I cut down a Nevermore in half, the final one knocked me down to the ground, into a large clearing. Then it landed, ready to fight on land._

" _Well… that's new"_

 _I switched into Sword Configuration and deployed the second blade, ready to dish out the pain._

" _Twin Dance: Final Revolution"_

 _My swords glowed, signaling the activation of my new 'Twin Dance' Sword Art, Final Revolution._

 _I dashed forward, dashing past the feathers that were thrown at me._

 _I got close, slicing a wing off, after which I continued with a flurry of hits, overwhelming the Nevermore and robbing it the chance to retaliate._

 _I back-flipped, 'giving' the Nevermore a chance to attack.. But as soon as the tips of my boots touched ground, I moved in a blur, vanishing from the Nevermore's sight. And appearing above it, my Scythe Blade glowing, ready to swing._

" _Reaper's Soul: Deathly Eclipse"_

 _I spun, coming down and slicing its head clean off, and turning its body into cinders._

" _Well, now that that's done… oh"_

 _As I looked around, I realized I was in the temple ruins. Where the relics were at._

Well. All I can do now is wait for someone to appear…

* * *

 **~Ruby~**

"Hey, Weiss… did you see that?"

"See what, you dolt!?" Weiss asked me, still annoyed.

"I saw someone fighting… in the air" I answered, pointing to the skies.

Weiss clearly didn't believe me. "You'd expect me to believe that? Life isn't all fairy-tails, you know"

"But it's true, I did see it! It was a guy in a trench-coat. And he had green Fairy wings!" I retorted, trying to convince her it was true.

We've been walking around for awhile, trying to find the Forest Temple. But it was VERY clear that Weiss had NO idea where to go.

But seeing that guy in the air gave me an idea.

"Hey, Weiss. So I was thinking..."

* * *

 **~Cinder~**

I've been walking for awhile through the charred remains of the battlefield of a forest that I've fought at, trying to take out a group of Ursi.

"I may have gone too far..." I said, looking around. The land was scorched black and what remains of my enemies were the piles of soot.

 _Now, who'll make a good partner? Pyrrha's an admirable fighter. Mercury? Most likely. Emerald would be a good choice too. Ruby? According to Rain, she's very skilled. But she's too young. Then again, so are we. Definitely not Weiss. She's too stuck up. Rain? The most likely candidate. I have to find him before anyone else can._

Honestly. I didn't know why I preferred Rain as a partner more than anyone else. Especially over Emerald and Mercury. I mean, I recruited them because I knew they were amazing fighters. So why?

As I walked further, I noticed Pyrrha behind me, running. Well, beggars can't be choosers.

"Hello Pyrrha. What happ- Wah?!"

Pyrrha grabbed my hand and dragged me along. "We have to move! There's a Nevermore on our tail!"

Right on cue, a Deathstalker brust forth from the forest line, enraged.

"And I'm sorry, but I already have a partner. He got thrown ahead by the Deathstalker that's chasing us"

 _Well, there's still a chance._

* * *

 **~Emerald~**

I was MAD.

If murder was legal, I'd be killing my partner right now.

Of all the people I could partner up with, it had to be him.

Why didn't I just look away?

"Hey Em, you still thinking about your boyfriend?"

"Wai-What?! What're you talking about!? I don't have a boyfriend!" I shouted, heat rising to my cheeks. _Don't you dare go there, Mercury._

"Oh, you know..." Mercury started. "… **Rain?** I saw your little lovey dovey time this morning. And here I thought _Cinder_ would get him." he ended, showing his shit-eating smirk, wiggling his eyebrows.

He got me this time. "We're not together. I just… just forget about it" I said, trying to end this conversation before I go from a tomato to a steam engine.

"Well…whatever you say. I'm still calling it though"

"Let's just get to the temple"

* * *

 **~Yang~**

"Think this is it?" I asked my new partner, Blake. We were currently in a temple ruin. She gave me an incredulous look and heads down the hill. We then walked across the floor and observe the items on each pedestal, their shapes firmiliar.

"Chess pieces?" she said, looking at the black kings, confused.

"Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here"

"Well, I guess we should pick one" I said, shrugging.

"Hmmm…How about a cute little pony?" I said, picking up a golden knigth piece and showing it to Blake.

"Sure" she answered, smirking.

"That wasn't too hard!"

"Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find"

Suddenly, Blake perked up. "There's someone here"

She jumped upwards, landing in an archway, her weapon sheathed. With me joining her shortly after. What I saw really surprised me.

A wolf Faunus was meditating, completely focused. He wore a black coat, and as well as a few pieces of armor and a helmet as his side. But what caught my attention was the white streak on his har. Only ONE person has that one streak of white hair.

"RAIN!" I shouted, attempting to grab the Faunus by the collar. Only to have him dissappear and reappear behind me, hand on my shoulder.

"Hello. Can I help you? And how do you know my name?"

Now I was angry. "Now you're doing it on purpose. After all these years, this is what you say!? No 'sorry'? No explanation? I thought you died!"

But he still feigned ignorance. "Maybe I'll remember who you are if you tell me your name"

"It's Yang! Yang! Xiao! Long!" I shouted, catching him by surprise.

"Fi-Firefly? Is that you?"

 _Oh, NOW you remember. Jerk_. I was NOT going to forgive him. "All these years, I thought you were dead. And now here you are, alive and kicking. Did you even THINK about calling me, or ANYONE, that you were alive?… I don't know what's going on through your mind, but you're gonna need to earn my trust back if you want to be my friend again"

"… I'm sorry Yang. I just-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a scream was heard from VERY far away, catching my attention as I turn towards the direction of its source. "Some girl is in trouble!" I called out, turning to my partner. "What should we do?"

Blake doesn't answer, staring at something in the sky. while I was still focused on the forest.

Finally, the faint-but-growing-louder scream of "Heads uuuuuuuup!" was heard, as my little sister falls from the sky.

" _Well…_ THAT's something you don't see everyday"

* * *

 _~Yang's memory, No. 1: Like a Phoenix~_

 _The young blonde was skipping down the street under the evening sun, eager to meet up with her Faunus friend._

" _I still don't get why I have to follow you!" her little sister, Ruby whined._

" _ **YOU** , my dear little sister, are there for moral and emotional support"_

" _Oh, for when you try to, I don't know, ask him out? I don't even know him."_

 _In an instant, Yang turned scarlet, stopping in her tracks. "W-what made you think I'd do that? That's absurd!"_

" _Maybe it was the cookies you made. You know, the ones you DIDN'T give me? He one's that are IN THE BAG you're holding?" Ruby answered, eyes narrowed whilst pointing at the clear bag of cookies Yang was holding._

 _Dang it, she got me. Time to change the subject._

" _So Rubes, do YOU-"_

" _Uh Yang, is that house supposed to be on fire?" Ruby asked, pointing at a house at the far end of the road on the hill, where many people were gathered._

 _Yang froze, wide eyed._

 _That's Rain's house! No…please, don't tell me…_

 _Yang immediately ran to the house, only to be held back by her father, Taiyang Xiao Long._

" _Yang! What are you doing here!"_

" _Dad, please! My friend's in there!"_

" _Yang..." her father started, grasping her shoulders. "There's no one there. They're gone"_

 _To the side laid a body, limp._

" _No… Ms. Luna..." Yang trailed off, falling to her knees._

 _Taiyang picked Ruby up and began walking away._

" _Hey dad, aren't you gonna…help Yang?" Ruby asked, looking at her weeping sister with sympathy and worry. She hated seeing her cherry, pun-loving sister so sad. It broke her heart._

" _Sometimes…people have to face their struggles alone. We'll still be there to support her, but only when she needs it" Taiyang answered._

" _Yang…Ruby and I'll head back home. If you need someone to go to…we're there for you"_

 _For the next week, Yang stayed in her room, hollow and empty. She hardly ate, only consuming food when Ruby or her father brought it to her room._

 _First she lost her mother, then Summer, and now, Rain_

 _Useless, useless, …_

 _Weak, weak, …_

 _Yang pushed her bedside cupboard down in frustration. She couldn't take it anymore._

" _ **sigh…** made a mess" Yang said, getting off her bed to clean her mess._

" _Hmm?"_

 _As Yang was picking up her stuff, she came across a letter hidden between the pages of her diary._

 _ **To Yang,**_

 _ **Hey there Firefly! If you're reading this, that means me and Russet are in Atlas with mom. So to supplement for missing your birthday, here's a gift from the two of us.**_

 _ **A symbol for you. A fiery heart of passion and life, just like you. You get stronger with every hit life throws at you, like a Phoenix. That's you power, your will, your semblance. We figured since you wanted to be a Huntress, you'd need a symbol of your own. Hope you like it!**_

 _ **Again, SO sorry we couldn't attend your birthday. See you soon!**_

 _ **Your Faunus friend,**_

 _ **Rain**_

 _ **P.S. Russet's been making puns. You're becoming a REALLY bad influence.**_

 _Yang froze. Too shocked to shed tears. She turned the paper and saw the symbol. A flame in the shape of a heart._

' _A fiery heart of passion and life, just like you. You get stronger with every hit life throws at you'_

 _Rain believed in her. He believed. In her._

 _She looked around her room. It was an utter mess._

" _What would Rain say if he saw my room?" Yang said, shaking her head and beginning to clean her room._

 _An hour later, a disheveled Yang walked into the living room, a grin spread across her face._

" _Yang! You're ok!" Ruby squealed, glomping her big sister. Taiyang had a thoughtful smile to his face._

" _Hey dad, let's go practice!" Yang shouted out zealously, grabbing her boxing gloves and running outside._

 _ **4 years later…**_

 _Yang began walking through the halls of Signal Combat Academy, her smile apparent and her steps filled with excitement. It was her first day there._

" _Let's see…first off, combat classes. With…hey what do you know, I got dad!" Yang said, now sprinting to her first class._

 _As she got to the door, she took out a piece of paper, smiling at it._

" _Well, you gonna go in?" Taiyang asked, standing behind her._

" _Just making sure I get a perfect entrance. Wouldn't want a normal first impression to 'Tai' me down. Right dad?" Yang answered, smirking at her father, who was rolling his eyes. With that, Taiyang nudged Yang in so that class could start._

 _ **A fiery heart of passion and life, just like you. You get stronger with every hit life throws at you.**_

 _ **Like a Phoenix.**_

* * *

 **AND that's a wrap. Hope you guys liked the multiple P.O.V.s I did. And sorry if it's bad, it's my first time.**

 **Anyways, the holidays just started, so no school! Except for club activities, of course. And the best part yet, I gonna go into 2nd Year soon! I'm just reveling in the idea of having others call me 'Senpai' for once.**

 **Sorry it took so long I just REALLY wanted to write a new story cuz' let's be honest, writing ONLY RWBY gets kinda boring after a while. Lastly, PLEASE check out the story 'Stygian'. As a Monster Hunter nut, I can say without a doubt that it is a GREAT story.**

 **So thanks for the follows and favorites, and see you in the next chapter!**

 **~Kaage**


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